Full

What a full and wonderful weekend.

The sharing time last night was powerful. I was so glad our older kids were there to hear story after story of how faithfully and obediently John Fawcett followed the Lord, blessing so many others through his gifts of worship and healing prayer. Over and over, people shared, through tears, how their lives had been radically changed because of John.

Many musicians came forward to share what it was like to follow John's lead in worship. It was often a harrowing experience, a flying by the seat of one's pants, with minimal practice ("Does anyone have an offertory they can do today?") and nothing but chord charts to follow ("...and then sometimes he'd decide to transpose the final verse up yet another time, to a key that you didn't have chord charts for"), but they all said they never came so close to Glory as when John was leading!

I asked our two musicians (Blondechick15--voice, and Bantam13--piano and guitar) if they understood now what their dad and I have tried to impress upon them before: That there is no more fulfilling way of using their talents than for the Lord. Yes, they both nodded seriously; they get it now.

There is so much more I could tell--but for now I would just ask for prayers for John's wife Margie, his daughter Charlotte (5) and his son Josiah (2). Words fail me here--but the Holy Spirit will lead. It is hard being too far away to offer practical help at this time, as many in their church community will do for years to come, but we will be supporting them consistently in prayer.

We are still somewhat swamped in unpacking here, and of course being gone all weekend didn't help any more boxes to disappear--but what a blessing each service, each old friend, each testimony was. What precious "interruptions" to our hectic schedule!

This morning I awoke from a dream of John pounding the piano and belting out "Soon and very soon, we are going to see the King...Hallelujah, hallelujah, we are going to see the King!" I listened to worship music all afternoon as I straightened and unpacked and organized and tried to keep kids on task (namely, getting back into homeschooling mode, a difficult adjustment as their new neighborhood friends are all downshifting toward summer).

Tonight my heart is heavy--and yet so full.