June 25 – “Turn toward the touch”

Last night some Seasiders, along with folks from ten other Galveston churches of different denominations and worship styles, gathered at the worship facility of Coastal Community Church.  They were there to do one thing … worship together in unity.  I know.  That’s a pretty broad stroke to attempt, especially in Galveston.  But there were folks of all ages, races, and worship energies all in one place lifting up praise to Jesus.  Pretty spectacular, if you ask me.

After we had been singing for a while, I found myself getting somewhat overwhelmed by the perfume of someone standing nearby.  My body reacts weirdly to intense smells like that.  I get nauseous.  I start feeling really hot and often break out in a cold sweat, all of which were happening.  I finally had to make a quick exit, get a drink of water, and cool off.  Fortunately I found a spot where the air conditioner was blasting, so I stood there for what amounted to be the rest of the worship time. 

And as I stood and prayed I noticed several things.  One was the little tiny toddler girl who was with her parents in the back row.  I couldn’t help but notice her.  She insisted.  In fact she snuck up on me one time and since I hadn’t yet acknowledged her presence, she tugged at my pants leg until I did.  Another time she walked up to within a foot or so of me and simply stared up at me.  I finally reached down and touched her gently on the shoulder, and she was fine.  Not sure how her parents were handling her flirting with the old guy though.

I was also drawn to the people who were slowly walking around the facility as we sang.  One young man in particular, maybe late teens or early twenties, seemed to be aimlessly wandering around.  He would stop on occasion and sing a bit, but then he moved on, from one side to the other.  At one point, right after I had interacted again with the little girl, I felt another touch on my arm from the other side.  I turned toward the touch, and who should be standing there but the young man who had been roaming.  I gave him my full attention, and he said, “Well, uh, I have, uh, you know, been, uh, kind of, uh, walking around and, uh, I have been looking for, well, uh, I’ve been looking for an older gentleman to ask him to pray for me.  And, well, you’re the only one.”  Now how do you handle a request like that one?  I asked his name, and we talked briefly about his concern before I did pray for him.  Afterwards he took a deep breath and smiled, said “thank you, sir,” and made his way to the other side of the room.  The whole interchange didn’t take longer than five minutes, but I hope it had some impact on him.  It certainly did me.  There I was, the “only old guy in the building,” just standing around minding my own business, enjoying the music, when I turned toward the touch.  And that turn gave me a chance to pray for someone who had been searching desperately (read here, who was being drawn toward the Father by the work of the Holy Spirit).  Certainly made my night.

Isaiah 30:21 says, “Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you saying, “This is the way; walk in it.”

Father, help me to be alert to the searching touches around me.  And give me the awareness to turn toward the touch.  Amen.