A happy song...

New Community tonight held some unexpected surprises. The first was what I found in the Prayer Request section of the Willow Weekly. One of the guys in our old small group, a man we love, has cancer. He needs prayer; tomorrow he will be having tests to determine if the cancer has spread. Lord, we put that in your mighty hands.

The most amazing thing tonight was the dad of Laurie's great Starbucks friend was baptized! I so clearly remember Laurie telling me how much she thought of her friend's mom and dad. She had said many time, "Mom, you and Pete would love her parents. You guys should get together." And she told me more of their story, some of it very hard. Laurie said that she was praying for all of them. She hoped so much that someday Christ would be the center of their lives. Laurie and I really knew God had big plans that would happen when we found out that our new teaching pastor, Mike Breau, bought the house right next door to this family. Mike Breau is the same pastor who's sermon on making ripples totally confirmed La's decision to be a missionary. If I remember right, Scott, Laurie's fiancee, was hired to put up the Christmas lights for the Breaus. God is so amazing in making all these divine arrangements.

Laurie's friend has had a really tough season both before Laurie's death and since but she is coming through it. She and I have met a few times in the last months and I have met with her mom. Both are awesome women and I know why Laurie loved them so much. Tonight I had this clear sense of celebration in heaven. After the service I found this couple and we hugged and got teary and confirmed the feeling that Laurie had a place in starting this journey for them. God, thank you so much for this great joy.

And NC ended with worship, The Happy Song. One of our pastors actually playing a banjo and Mike Breau playing a jug. Some of the lyrics are:

Well I could sing unending songs
Of how you saved my soul
& I could dance a thousand miles
Because of your great love

C'mon everybody dance
Everybody dance

My heart is bursting Lord
To tell of all you've done
Of how've you changed my life
And wiped away the past
Well, I want to shout it out
From every roof top sing
For now I know
That God is for me, not against me

A happy song...