As 2019 became 2020, I found myself in a beautiful, poignant space.
Surrounded by 65,000 college students and adult leaders, these words were roaring,

Don't let your heart be troubled
Hold your head up high
Don't fear no evil
Fix your eyes on this one truth
God is madly in love with you
Take courage
Hold on
Be strong
Remember where our help comes from

Jesus
Our redemption
Our salvation
Is in His blood

Jesus
Light of heaven
Friend forever
His kingdom come

And I was standing on those words and walking into their fulfillment. In a sea of voices, I was mute, but not because I didn’t want to participate. A strange infection had settled into my throat and my chest and robbed me of speech. But nothing could stop me from declaring this banner over the changing of the guard, the changing of the decade:

Swing wide
All you heavens
Let the praise go up
As the walls come down

I kept focusing in on those words - “Let the praise go up/As the walls come down” - a moment of profound truth and all I could do was stretch out my arms and agree with my heart. You know how its said that when one loses one sense, the others sharpen? That’s what I felt…with speech gone, I had gained an acute spiritual sense and everything happening was blazing with a holy light.

I have never had an experience like it. All I could do was receive it - then and now.