He “Wifed” me for the first and last time ever. I was so surprised I said, “Ok. If you feel that strongly about it.” He said I do and we were on our way to Full Faith Church of Love in Lenexa KS.
I had never been in a place like that. It held 4,000 people and we sat in theatre seats. I did not know it when I walked in, but the service would last 4 hours and my hyperactive child would sit through the whole thing and not make a peep. That in itself is a major miracle.
The music was lively, much livelier than I was used to. There was a band on stage with guitars and drums. People walked around easily and talked to each other instead of coming in and immediately sitting down. We chose a seat in a middle right section a little more than half the way back.
A man came to the pulpit and announced we would begin the service. He led us in prayer and we began singing. We did not have hymnals. There was an overhead projector with the words of the songs on a screen. Ok. I can do this. I thought. The tunes were somewhat repetitious. I picked them up very quickly.
Not long into the first lively song the whole congregation of 4,000 people started jumping up and down in time with each other, skip hop, skip hop. The floors literally sprang up and down as we all bounced together. My ex husband started skipping with them. So did my two girls. So we were jumping and clapping and laughing in the Lord. What fun.
Then the music started slowing down. The lyrics became more reflective. We sang of the Love of The Lord G-D. We sang about end of time and our trip home.
Then, sort of without warning all singing stopped and a hush fell over the crowd. Slowly one person after another got up and headed down the aisles toward the front of the church. I had no idea what was going on. Two microphones were hanging from the ceiling at the end of the main aisles. One by One they approached the microphone and spoke.
Ok. I thought. I get it. These are “testimony mikes”. I had seen the growing up in church in the tent meetings and even given my testimony before at our tent revivals when I was a kid back at home. After a number of people spoke a man who had been singing up on stage came to his microphone and said, “The Lord G-D told me a new prophet was going to come to our services tonight. This prophet does not know they are a prophet and ma not even believe prophecy exists in our time. This prophet is bringing a special message to us tonight. None of these we have heard here tonight are it. Would all of you who are waiting in line to speak please be seated. We are going to start worshipping again. We are supposed to continue worshipping and waiting until the newly commissioned prophet delivers the message no matter how long it takes.
There was hushed chatter across the auditorium. I was glad when the music started up again. We danced and sang and went through the same process of getting quiet and reflective with different songs. Without any notice all together the crowd went quiet a second time. More people went up to the microphones to “testify”. The man on the stage again asked everyone to sit down. He said he knew the message they were waiting to hear and the messenger was there with us. He said we would sing and praise and dance all night if need be.
We started singing another lively song but this time I started feeling very heavy. My arms and legs felt like they weighed a ton and my stomach had a wrecking ball in it. I could barely breathe. It was like the air got toooo thick to inhale. And suddenly I knew I was supposed to go give my testimony. I don’t know how I knew. I just knew.
I told my ex husband about it. He said absolutely not. Yo do not know what is going on here. I absolutely forbid you to go. I said ok. End of story. The whole congregation went through another cycle of praise and worship and the an at the front of the stage told every one to sit down. We would start again. This time I thought I was going to faint. The weight in my body increased. The message to go give my testimony was soooo loud and strong in my spirit I thought my neighbor to my right was hearing it too. My husband lookdown at me finally and said, “What is wrong with you? You are absolutely blue all over.” I answered that I had told him I was supposed to go give my testimony and he told me not to. I would obey him but I would probably pass out if this stuff kept up. The man on stage again said he was waiting for this first time messenger to come to the microphone. My ex husband looked the stage. Then he looked at me. He slumped for a second and then let out a loooong sigh. Then he said, “Ok…..go.”
I did make it past him into aisle. I did walk to the front of the church. There were three or four in front of me. I thought that was great because the man would probably tell us to sit down before my turn and it would be all over.
Uh Uh.
I walked up to the microphone not knowing what to say and out of my mouth came:
“OUT OF YOUR MOUTH COMES BLESSING AND CURSING.
MY CHILDREN, THIS SHOULD NOT BE SO.”
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