March 27, 2021

My Walk and Witness with Christ

March 27, 2021

By Brooke Ohrt, Age 16

DAILY READING

Psalm 118:1-2;19-29

As I reflect on God at work in the world, there was an experience from the 2018 Jubilation tour that has stuck with me since that day. It was June 7th, 2018, and we had returned to our residing at Lake Junaluska, North Carolina. This is a special place for many people who have felt the closeness of God and Jesus in the beauty and nature that surrounds it. There is a stone chapel with incredible acoustics and intricate details that overlooks the lake. 

After we had finished our performances, we returned and got cleaned up and comfortable, and we went to worship in this chapel. After worship, Patsy Wade and James Wells allowed us to start singing songs that we sang at our performances.” We gathered around Patsy and the piano, having so much fun just being in community together.

One of the chaperones noticed a family walking alongside the edge of the building through the open windows and doors. When the chaperone went out, his intention was to invite them in to listen to us sing and give praise to God. As conversation went on, he learned they were there to celebrate their son who had lost his life in a car accident. As they were standing right outside the doors, we started singing “Stop By, Lord”. The conversation ended and they came in, sat in the back and listened to us sing. 

We all began to feel the spirit and have fun singing this song. In the back of the chapel, sat this family who the words of the song, found comfort in a time of need. After we finished, they went back out to the courtyard area to finish the celebration of life of their son while we were inside still singing God’s praise and words of song. 

This really was God working in the real world. I feel that he had James choose to have us sing those songs for a reason because there was a family who needed to hear the words of God. Psalm 118 is a great example of what Jubilation choir experienced in 2018. This tour showed that Christ and God’s love never stops and reaches people when they need the power most of all. 

As we prepare for the resurrection of Christ, let us rejoice in praises of Christ and recognize his works and his power in our lives. This tour experience is one that stood out to me as being close to God and Christ, and recognizing their works. I never realized before how close you can be with God or Jesus until I was able to witness how we supported a family that we had never met, and probably will never meet again, grieve the loss of a family member.