Transformation of the Garden Room

As I sit here in this prayer room looking at the wall covered in post it notes (which have prayers writen on them), news articles and maps I couldn't help but think how beautiful it all was. It was then that the Lord reminded me where this room, the Garden Room, started out as.

When we first looked at this room as the place for our prayer spot the paint was coming off and the carpet was really old. It haden't been updated in a while. This understandable of course, as priority must go to our other spaces, but it was really worn down. It was hard to envision a beautiful prayer room in a space that seriously needed a makeover. However, we knew that this was where God wanted us to have the 84, so we decided we would deal with it.

Well, summer came and with it an incredible amount of rain. The garden room is in the basement and it became subject to flooding. EVERYTHING needed to be stripped and then redone. The next time I walked into the Garden Room to go over plans for the 84 I smelled brand new carpet (you can still smell it a bit) and saw a lovely new coat of paint. It was as if God had sent that flood so this room would recieve an upgrade for the 84.

I thought, isn't this an example of what God does to us. On the inside we are run down. Our hearts are not a pretty picture and our sin makes us ugly. Then the Lord comes with the flood of his presence and washes everything away. Our hearts are gutted and then He makes us new. Suddenly we are made beautiful, and it is only because of Him.

Isaiah 61:3 (KJV) says "to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified."

The Lord takes our rags and puts on us the Garment of praise. He gives us beauty for our ashes. He gives us life for His death. Amen.

We are getting ready to enter into our final night of worship and tonight we have two high school students from Converge who will be leading. How beautiful it is to watch the generations come and worship Him who is worthy.
-Amy Soba