Three Things I Learned Standing on a Hillside in the Middle of a Cow Pasture.....

The sky was dark but the night was young. It had been a long week of hard work and ministry opportunities. A group had traveled across the country to come to a place they had never known. They came to work beside people they had never met. In a place, they were unfamiliar with. We had spent long days, traveling to further places to help with projects and bible schools. We sang we played, we prayed, we got on each other's nerves. We laughed, we cried, we prayed. We ate sandwiches all week, we were hot and sweaty and tired, and we prayed more. And there we stood at the end of the week, in the cool of the night, in the dark, on a hillside in the middle of a cow pasture.

That night, at the end of the week, standing in the dark, on a hillside, in the middle of the cow pasture we had church. We had church in the way that I would love to have it all the time. I want to find the words to paint the picture of what I remember from all those years ago…..

We were exhausted when we arrived on that hillside. I was so tired, that when they said someone was going to preach, I immediately thought to myself, oh no, I'm so tired. I didn't want to sit down, because did I mention, we were on a hillside, in the dark, in the middle of a cow pasture?

But we were elevated on that hillside. Not that altitude brings you closer to God, but because we were higher up, we could see the town we lived by. In the daylight, it was dirty and littered and chaotic in every sense. In the dark, from the hillside, it was sparkling with lights. It appeared magical, beautiful, and peaceful. Like it was the safest most lovely place to live when in reality it was dark in the daylight and often dangerous.

We were engaged on that hillside. Someone started playing guitars and bongo drums. Slowly but surely, exhausted hands went up in worship. As we engaged in worship you could feel the exhaustion lift. We were standing there in the dark, overlooking what in the light was a dirty town. In the dark, it was magical. The lights from afar twinkled with a warmth and beauty that was unseen close up during the daylight. As I looked around, even the children had their hands lifted into the night sky. We stood there for a long time, but it felt like minutes.

What did I learn on the hillside in the cow pasture that night? I learned that exhaustion is temporary. It evaporates in the presence of the most Holy God. The Spirit of the Lord brings peace and rest. I learned that when you take a step back and gain a different perspective, it can provide a magical view. A view not apparent when you are up close and personal with what you are facing.

I learned that you can engage God in worship and have church anywhere. If he meets you in the middle of a cow pasture on a hillside, He will meet you anywhere you ask Him to.

Religion complicates things, relationship sets people free. No matter what your faith entails, I am sure there may be a mix of both. That night on the hillside changed me. It fueled a fire that was already burning within me to understand what it means to worship in Spirit and Truth. It fueled my desire for unconventional moments with my Creator. It challenged me to open my eyes to see Him in the strangest of places. It fed my weary and exhausted soul. If you a tired today and carrying a heavy load....stop for a moment. Close your eyes, unless you are driving or standing on the edge of a cliff, take a deep breath, and worship Him. Worship Him for who He is, not what He does, and wait a moment. Wait with the confidence that He is near. Wait with the expectation that He will hear you. Wait for the refreshing feeling that comes when we worship in gratitude.

You may have to work on calming your mind. If you do this, I know He will meet you there at your point of thankfulness, at your point of praise. God is not the God of a building or a person or place. God is a God of the moment, everywhere, all the time, in all the things. For that I am grateful.