Bravo, Bravo, Bravo GOD!!!!!

Standing to our feet at the end of an awesome performance of Les Miserables, with hands clapping and roars of "Bravo, Bravo" being heralded toward the stage and burying lasting impressions into our souls, we showed our appreciation for the actors and actresses' performances.

Stopping speechless at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, my knees weakened as I stepped back to sit and admire the original painting of  "Washington Crossing the Delaware".  The talent that was displayed through one man's hands left me speechless.

Tears flow down my cheeks as my newly born child is handed into my arms....BRAVO!!

Beth Moore calls those times in our life that create a desire to want to stand, clap and look upward with "Bravo, Bravo God"...  those times when His words, His actions, His creation just bring us to our knees in appreciation.

On June 15, 2010, God brought a "Bravo, Bravo God" moment into my husband's and my life.  We had already been speechless over the generosity of  friends who allowed us to use their condo for time away to celebrate our 30th wedding anniversary.  We had already been humbled as we walked down memory lane.  We were making our way back to our obligations at home in another city when God extended His hand for a "Bravo moment".

We circled back through our home town to stop at the church where our love had began.  We laughed in the parking lot where my husband had proposed to me.  Happily reliving our past memories, we strolled  into the familiar church lobby we had attended from childhood.  Asking the secretary if we could go into the locked sanctuary, we opened the door to more than I could have ever expected.  Strolling into the sanctuary, while having a friendly chat with the church secretaries, opened the scene for our "Bravo God" moment.  I only got a foot onto the still-blue carpet when God's presence...His hand on us.... His greatness in our marriage.... brought tears of gratefulness flowing from my eyes.  I lost it!  I was overwhelmed! I was enveloped in His Love and Faithfulness!

Standing there, my mind went back to every moment of my life that had occurred in this house of God.  From the first year my parents joined, (I was twelve) the years of youth group, years of our courtship, through our wedding, to the funeral of my beloved father-in-law.  The pews, the hymnals, the ceiling, the choir loft, the piano.  I was overcome with joy!

My husband, who had worshiped in this place longer than I, walked to the stage and sat down at the piano.  My tears were expressing my thoughts... he was quiet.  At age sixteen, he had given me wise, brotherly advise as I sat beside him on that same piano bench..  As he sat down, memories just continued to flood my mind.  He began to play like he had done for so many years in this place.  His voice and piano playing had filled these walls on many occasions. Then his gifted hands stroked the keys to play the melody of the song he had written for our wedding 30 years ago.

Bravo God, Bravo God!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

He finished the complete song, I washed away my tears and we both knelt on the same step of the platform stairs from 30 years earlier. These were the exact stairs where we had knelt in prayer before God so many times on different events in our lives, but the most important of all, our wedding prayer.  We once again prayed prayers to our God and recommitted ourselves in marriage before him.  Our gratefulness for our spiritual heritage which had brought us to this moment were voiced as a prayer offering before our God.

Yes, I have dreamed of those big parties where you renew your vows or a trip to Europe.  All of those dreams were diminished in size as I knelt with my husband of  thirty years, once again where it had all begun.

Words will never express that moment.  I am just trying to put it into words by calling it a
"Bravo, Bravo God Moment".

Can you recall your "Bravo God" moments?  Don't miss them. Sometimes they are in your child's kiss or an emotional event... and sometimes He is just there when life has knocked you down and He extends His arms to lift you up.
My "Bravo God" moment is still etched into my memory as tears flow each time I recall how He ended our anniversary celebration trip.  We serve an Awesome God!