Insights

I had a cool experience this morning on the way to work. There’s a bus stop right by my apartment that is on the University bus route. There was a guy sitting there when I was going to work, and I heard in my heart, “Give him a ride.” I ignored it and started driving down the street, but I kept hearing it over and over. So, I turned around and went and asked if he needed a ride. He looked like any white American, so I was surprised when I heard him speak with a thick accent saying that he would like a ride. Turns out, he’s from Turkey. I spent two months in Turkey in 2002. I told him that I spent a month in Istanbul, and guess what…..he’s from Istanbul He’s only been in America for a week.

We had a great conversation about Turkey and about how we both missed it (I think he’s already getting kinda homesick), and I gave him my card and told him that I’d love to hang out some time. I forgot to get his information, so I’m praying he will definitely contact me.

I’m really excited about this. I love having friends from other countries, especially the ones that I’ve been to. A lot of the international student friends I’ve made over the years have moved off, so I’ve been praying that God would bring me some new ones. He definitely did. I’m glad I was eventually obedient!!!

I don’t have much time to write right now, but I wanted to repost the words to a song by jason Upton. Keep in mind as you read the words that this is a spontaneous song in which he just sang what the Holy Spirit put on his heart. It was released on the “Open Up the Earth” CD, and I transcribed the words. I pray it blesses you as much as it has me.

Peace
From Open Up the Earth by Jason Upton

I wanna know Your heart
Like a child knows his father
And I wanna know Your voice
Like my little boy knows my voice

When I hear You at a distance
When the world can’t make it out
I can hear it comin
Your voice, oh Father
Your voice, oh Father
The still, small voice

And I wanna hear your Voice, oh Father
Even when it seems at a distance
When people think I’m crazy
For thinking I can hear You

I wanna know Your voice, oh Father
I wanna hear it comin
I wanna be the first around the corner
To take Your hand and walk with You
To the chair that You have
And sit down on Your lap and hold on

Sometimes that’s all we do as children
Is just hear Your voice come runnin’ round the corner
And hold on

Sometimes that’s what it feels like to be a child of God
It’s just holding on

And I declare over you that the enemy’s camp tonight
Is not fearful of a generation puffed up with Christian pride
But a childlike generation
That all it knows how to do is hold on

I wanna hold on to You Father
More than I run and play or dance around
I wanna hold on to you Father
Sit on your lap and hear Your voice whisper over me
In the midst of the storm, “Peace.”

Oh I give you peace
The strength of a generation is peace
Jesus said, “I want to give you peace, oh children.”
Oh, the peace that comes beyond the understanding
Oh, the peace that comes on knowing the whisper of a father

I give you peace
In the midst of your brokenness
I give you peace
In the midst of your emptiness
I give you peace
In the midst of the moments when you feel so dry
I give you peace
I give you peace
I give you peace
When you feel you can’t go on
I give you peace
When rejection’s far too much
I give you peace
When the shame, the shame’s too unbarable
And the world seems so cruel, I give you
I give you peace
The times you take off
I give you peace
The times you are fearful
I give you peace
The peace of a child
Holdin’ on

I wanna see the cloud
The cloud coming
When no one else sees the cloud
I wanna see it’s coming
Gimme eyes, oh father, and faith like a child
And ability to feel the same and know it
I see it comin’ now
I wanna see you comin
Before the world, i wanna see you comin
I wanna know you’re comin
Over the army, over the warriors
Know you’re comin
You’re comin to rescue me
I know you’re comin
In the midst of the trial
I know you’re comin
In the midst of the circumstance
I know you’re comin
So I’ll wait

In restlessness that’s only that of a child waiting for his dad
Shaking on the inside
Can’t wait til you come home
Can’t wait til you come home
Can’t wait til you come home
Can’t wait til you come home
Gimme the faith of a child
With a restlessness inside
Just waiting to see you, father
Before anyone else sees you
Waiting to hear you, father
When your voice is still off in the distance
I hear you comin
I can hear you comin
Your kingdom coming
I wanna be your child