I See a Generation…

…rising up to take their place, with selfless faith…

The words of that song have been echoing in my head the past two days.  It’s a song I love to sing in worship at Franklin First UMC. It’s a song that expresses what I have been seeing and continue to see in our world.    God is stirring so many people and it is global.  Every generation is being invited to follow that stirring…but there is an obvious rising up of the current generation to literally “take their place” in making this world a different place.  It’s beautiful.   Listen closely… do not miss what God is speaking through them.  It is new. 

We began early and ended late today.  We had reunions, visits and meetings.  We walked the dusty, rocky road of La Toma and if there was anything hard in our hearts it melted away.  It is near impossible to be in this community with a stone in your heart. Sometimes people come with a hammer here, a bit like Jesus being a carpenter.  There is always more to the story…carpenter to Messiah.  Builder to sponsor.  Stone to water.

It is late and we had a long day so I will just share this great joy.  We visited Beatriz late this afternoon. She was surprised to see us and she had an even bigger surprise to share!  A new baby! Elanny is 3 months old and her mother is VERY HAPPY! 

It was so fun so see Beatriz so full of joy and life. Earlier this year when I visited her, the front part of the home was set as an altar for her mother who had just died.  Tonight when we arrived that same space is decorated for Christmas and the altar is being prepared for the nativity. 

Joy was bursting out of every corner of the house and every person’s spirit.  So wonderful! 

Rachel presented Beatriz with a big stack of coloring books and supplies for the children she helps to teach.

We were all awed with little Elanny and rejuvenated a bit from the long day.  There is great joy in this house; not sorrow. And while she is overjoyed being a new mom, she is also talking about the children she is teaching, their needs and all she dreams for them.  We shared greetings from all those who are so close to her and she spoke with much gratefulness for the education she had as a child.  You never know the full impact of building a school to give local children a place to learn and grow.

Mamma Goose (also known as Rachel Williamson) offered a prayer as we were leaving the home of Beatriz. It was the prayer of a mother’s heart.  In those words I heard a vision for Elanny..of having a future and a hope that will be even more than her mom as ever dreamed.  Let us all be still enough to listen…to the stirring of the Spirit…to the coming of Messiah that we anticipate in Advent.  God is rising up the young, the wise, the old and the new.  I just wonder…what is God rising up in you?