the story of God's Spirit

At the beginning of last year, I attended a story-crafting training in South Africa.  A group from Lesotho attended, including a believing Lesotho man. During the training, he shared the story of Pentecost from Acts 2. He shared it in his own dialect, and another man at the training translated it into English for us.

I was so touched by this story that day. I was thinking about how, when the Holy Spirit came, God gave the apostles the ability to speak in all the languages of the people visiting Jerusalem . . . this is definitely the kind of tongues I need a gift for! Last year at this time, I was extremely apprehensive. I was about to begin this project, and I knew I would encounter major challenges and a steep learning curve of trying to work in multiple dialects . . . I was a nervous wreck! I used to dream that God would visit me with the gift of tongues, and not just any tongues, but specifically the tongues, or dialects, of southwest Madagascar!

However, when I heard that young man from Lesotho tell the story of the coming of the Holy Spirit in his own language, I realized something. That same Spirit—who came on the disciples that day, who caused thousands of people to hear the Gospel in their own languages from the lips of one speaker—lives in me! And even though I didn’t expect Him to give me a sudden, miraculous understanding of every dialect, I knew I could trust Him to give me whatever I would need.

I was reminded of all this earlier this week, when one of my groups worked on this same story. They marveled at 3000 believing at one time, and how God’s desire to save us has never changed, throughout history and Scripture. They were amazed to see that the outpouring of the Spirit incited an immediate burden to share in the disciples—He came to make the truth go out!

All these aspects of the story are amazing, but I was in awe of the wonder of God’s plan, and how He’s let me be a tiny part of it. He truly has been so faithful to me, and He has given me everything I have needed over this last year. I am so thankful for the power and presence of His Spirit, that He is working all around the world, and within me too! May He have His way!