Night vigil are not just regular meeting, but they also provide a chance to recharge spiritually after the week's hustle, therefore Friday night vigils have always held a unique place in my heart. I was not only exco in the church but also a call to serve; my presence was therefore more than just a duty. This particular vigil did come at a time when my body was hardly standing, though.
The week had been taxing both mentally and physically. All I wished by Friday evening was to crawl up in bed and allow sleep to take control. Though my entire body was crying out for rest, there was this soft nudge inside me coaching me to be attentive—not only as an exco, but also because I knew that God always has something in store for those who turn up, even when they don't feel like it. I walked sluggishly toward the church. Honestly, I found it hard to be fully involved at the beginning of the vigil since there is calm. I jumped from the prayers to how weary I was in my mind. My eyelids felt weighty, and every inch of me yearned to close off. Still, something began to change as the worship session began. The gentle tunes permeated the air, and bit by bit the exhaustion I experienced started to evaporate. In God's presence seemed to be encircling me, lightly waking my spirit. I was so immersed in worship by the anointing of the songs that I forgot how tired I had been. There was a fire in the air that couldn could not be overlooked as the prayer sessions started. The words from the ministers cut deep into my heart, provoking in me a new yearning for God. I found in the late evening that a great weight had lifted from my shoulders. Originally a night I attended grudgingly, it turned out to be among the most intense meetings I had experienced in a while. God was palpable, like a rejuvenating breeze that swept away all exhaustion and restored my energy. I wanted the vigil to carry on till we rounded up. I felt this happiness and tranquility in my heart. But then reality sunk in for me when I looked over at the clock: it was still quite early, the sort of early that warranted caution going back home due to security concerns.
A few of us who couldn't consider the trip had to find someone around the area where we may rest till daybreak. Safety was more important then than comfort, even though it wasn't the most pleasant configuration. Waiting for dawn to to break, we fitted into a tight quarters. Half awake and half asleep, I pondered how God came to me at my lowest point. Although almost unwilling, exhausted, and anxious, I left revitalized and revived. It made me see that occasionally the best experiences with God arise from our merely showing up and pushing past our emotions.
That night showed me once more that God's strong is discovered in our weakness. The spirit is always willing, and people who wait on the Lord will always have their strength restored, even if the body is weak. I knew I wasn't heading home the way I arrived by the time the morning light showed through the heavens. Though the vigil may have stopped, God's satisfactoriness stayed inside me—an reminder that in His company, there is always fullness of happiness.
