Sacred Building

Stepping across the threshold, even as we chatted amongst ourselves and searched for seats, there was just something expectant about that place, something that waited in the wings, the moment that we had marked on our calendars weeks ago in pen, that we had agreed to when we received the invitation, that we had placed as a reminder on our phones lest we forget.

That we would gather together, that we would come from our homes and our jobs, in faded jeans and professional attire, that we would come from children that needed feeding and homework left unfinished, that we would set aside the outside world and step into the sanctuary for one purpose..... to pray.

There is something beautiful, something special and soothing about candlelight. About sitting in the central glow of that meeting place even though the pews stretched far to the left and the right, and women of all ages and stages of life pulled themselves away from the desire to have a space solely theirs and instead huddled in the middle of that large room to align our hearts to one purpose ....to pray.

It's a wonder we don't desire to do it more often, to embrace the beauty of a gathering of women talking to the Almighty as a unified body, to grab hold of the rarity that is found in leaving all competition and comparison at the door and simply coming as daughters of the King, each beloved, each treasured and each one asking that Father hear our cries as we.....pray.

September 14th, just a typical late summer/ early fall Monday, not found to have any special notation of holiday celebration in my day planner, and yet marked with a passion and desire that spread across the states, across the continents and into countries far and near to come together, in Nehemiah like fashion.....to pray.

And it was beautiful.

The sacred building of the wall that has been torn down by the enemy. Sitting in the rubble, knowing full well that we have left our homes, our cities, our country exposed to attack. And so, while we sleep and while we go about our days, he slides across the dusty bricks and through the cracks and holes and goes about injuring our lives and our families. Injured and bleeding, overwhelmed by what we are facing we weep and mourn what has been lost, but it seems to try and rebuild may just be too much for the one, there is no fathomable way we could do it alone.

So, in that place of worship, we gathered together and we planted our knees on holy ground and lifted our hands and joined together to build once more with our words whispered and hearts fervently beating and heads bowed in prayer.