“Mighty to Save” by Hillsong United
Everyone needs compassion
A love that’s never failing
Let mercy fall on me
Everyone needs forgiveness
The kindness of a Savior
The hope of nations
(Chorus)
Savior
He can move the mountains
My God is mighty to save
He is mighty to save
Forever
Author of Salvation
He rose and conquered the grave
Jesus conquered the grave
~~~~~~
This is the beginning of a beautiful song that our LIFETEEN band sang at Mass last night. I was watching my fellow parishioners carry up Sharing Sunday gifts to the front of the church and my sons and I were singing away. Ryan, my oldest, now that he is 13 has a very deep voice for a boy his age and I was listening to him belt out the song. I wanted to lean over and tell him how nice I thought he sounded and when I did I saw that he was looking up, singing loudly with his hands opened up, not fully raised in the air but not resting on his legs either. He was in full worship mode. It wasn’t until the song ended that I realized I was holding my breath.
This is my son that only a decade ago I thought would never be able to get beyond his fits, outrageous tantrums, impulsive behaviors that I knew for sure would leave him an outcast in society. But here he is ten years later having adjusted to society but thankfully not conforming to the world. His tantrums and fits are far gone and his impulsiveness now comes out in his need to share his view on what is right and wrong in this world. He surpasses me in knowledge of many humanitarian and political viewpoints and at times I sit and listen in awe. And, AND he is a young man of God finding no qualm in sitting next to his mother in Mass and holding out his hands to worship.
My God IS mighty to save!
I witnessed another miracle this weekend as well. I was a volunteer for a cook team on a Mission ACTS retreat. As a cook team we are generally forewarned of any one attending that had food allergies. We weren’t told of any so we planned meals accordingly. However, on the very first day we were told a woman on the retreat was highly allergic to nearly everything. In fact, she was so allergic she couldn’t walk into the chapel that first evening. She had to stand outside until someone was able to find her a surgical mask and even then she would only stand in the back near the door. She couldn’t eat anything because there was something in everything we made that she was allergic to. We were flabbergasted as to how to feed and serve this poor woman. We prayed for her and felt compassion as it had to be a very difficult life to lead. We tried to adjust after that first evening and offer some options that would work which managed to keep her at least fed.
And lo and behold, on the third day of this four day retreat I witnessed the beginning of the miracle. I was asked to lector for their morning Mass so I show up and was told to pray because this woman had walked INTO the chapel for the FIRST TIME without her mask on her face! Everyone was very excited to see this happen. I went up to the front, knelt and said my prayers and offered up the Mass for her. When I went to sit down I saw she was on the THIRD ROW. After Mass I hurried back to the kitchen in order to help serve breakfast and told everyone what I had witnessed. We were in awe! What was even better was watching her come in for breakfast and EAT something without asking about the ingredients. And the true miracle…the true miracle is that by lunch time she was laughing and smiling for the first time all weekend! She was able to finish out the retreat and we never heard another question again on the food. She ate whatever she wanted!!!
Whatever it was that was in her life, stuffed down and blocking her from Him and from the joys of every day living…God had moved a mountain this weekend to release her from her inner prison.
Savior
He can move the mountains
My God is mighty to save
He is mighty to save
Forever
Author of Salvation
He rose and conquered the grave
Jesus conquered the grave
Blessings
Shannon