Something like a circus that looks like heaven

Kvinner Konferensen i Kristiansand
The Women's Conference in Kristiansand

Well, it was crazy in many ways that I should just start to expect as I walk from day to day in my life here on earth. I am not supposed to understand the ways of God and this weekend helped me see that I can not understand it!

So. What happened. Well you can almost imagine what might happen when a thousand women get together without the normal life around them to hinder the communication with God. The Lord does a crazy thing with thier hearts....in freedom. It's something worth remembering to see women over 50 deciding for the first time to follow Christ with thier lives and hearts. Its something crazy to try to put myself in the shoes of an 88 year old lady who hears the voice of God tell her to take a blue worship flag and walk up and down the aisle blessing us all in intercession and prayer. Its something like a circus that looks like heaven.
It brought tears to my eyes to see perfectly refined women surrendering thier wills over to the Lord and to go dancing like a little child before the rest of the group. What kind of desire to actually want the presence of the Lord to follow you and be in you must come before you put your reputation down on the line?

Reputations......aren't those the last things to get laid down. Yeah....take my pride, take my life, take my time.....but then it comes down to the actually actions of God dwelling in you....lifting your hands, praying out loud, crying, dancing, standing, lying on the ground, going up humbly for prayer....and you wonder............did that person who is weeping bitterly in front of a thousand people know she would do that when she came today? Of course not. I know because she is Norwegian. For some reason I actually believe charasmatic responses to the gospel in Norway.....because a Norwegian under the spirit of the culture would NEVER do anything that put themselves apart from the others.....because of reputations.

So what happened? I think that the presence of God is so heavy....and so real....and when it comes to the choice, will you make it? Will you choose God or will you choose your reputation? This is what I am talking about people! Reputations die. God does not.

So what I think happened was that this lady desired in her deepest of deepest places to welcome God in and made the choice to lay her final sacrafice on the altar, her reputation. And the peace that comes in the MOURNING. The freedom in faith not for a response or reaction to God....but a body offered as a living sacrafice to God.

That's what he is looking for.

What would you choose?
I am honest and say that I just watched this circus that looked a little like heaven. The women being touched by God and I just watched and stared. God was putting a peace in my heart...but a compassion to understand in my deepest of deepest places.....enticing me.

'Erika, do you want me to fully place my heart in yours? Do you trust me enough with your life to give up your reputation for my plan? You wonder if they will still love you? You know that answer, it doesn't matter if they love you....when the cold wind blows all around, and no home on earth can be found I will still love you!!"

That sacrafice. It looks like a cross.