Tuesday, April 26, 2011

I'm going to send an email...

During the time I was an assistant, the internet didn't yet exist.

Our only spiritual food was the pastor on the altar and the messages of Bishop Macedo and the other pastors on the radio.

I remember trying to hear the services of Brás, Brazil through the São Paulo radio. During that time every one worked in the regional cathedral, on Wednesdays there were about seventy.

Some assistants in my church had already been removed from the Pastor of the Cathedral. He said, "Stop talking during the service"...

I don't know why, but we noticed that like when some receive an order, they disobey, and then they have difficulty to do the right thing...

The worst thing is that the Pastor, he seemed aggravated, still on the altar he could see... he could see the attempts to hide what we did wrong...

I was included in that situation, but in truth, I didn't even go to the cathedral on Wednesday because I studied.

But one day, that marked my life forever, I went...

And I saw all the assistants, my friends... friends that had forgotten to tell me the order the pastor had given... In other words, I had no idea what was happening...

An assistant stood by my side... laughed about something and left...

Like always, the pastor called all the assistants to talk to them. I didn't even see when he walked in, in that small room with all the regional assistants. Basically, we were so occupied on waiting for the pastor that we were laughing and talking...

But when he told me to give up my uniform I listened...

I didn't think he was talking to me but he was.

"I had already told you all that when you give up your uniform it's no use to cry." After I realized he was really talking to me (I was in shock for a few seconds), I could only think, "Why?"

Without a doubt the Pastor needed to receive an email from me...

How could he humiliate me? In front of all the region? I didn't even usually attend the services in the cathedral to be accused of something I didn't do.

But in that time, nobody thought this way... and after a few minutes... After an earful...

He blessed the assistants, and made a purpose to place his hands on our heads.

I thought... "He humiliated me and now he wants to bless me..."

I was the first one. My life changed after that very blessed day, blessed words... Blessed the hands that blessed me...

I married that Pastor. After two years in front of all the assistants in that regional cathedral.

A lot are witnesses of our story...

Many times people stop the blessing or blessing others because they start judging.

It doesn't matter who was wrong, but the will of God in every situation. If you think about that, we're going to know what God intends for us to do.

But if I had sent that email...

Graça Lourenço

"A servant that has the same characteristics as God does not only do His work, but overall, His will."