God Meets Us in the Quiet Spaces
by Laurie Miller
Hello, Cornerstone family. My name is Laurie Miller. Some of you may know me from the toddler room as one of the teachers. I have been coming to Cornerstone for seven years and have been a member since 2020. I currently work as a Medical Social Worker at a children’s hospital here in Los Angeles. I recently had the amazing opportunity to travel to Uganda for a short-term trip with a team of 19 other members from Cornerstone. Prior to going, I prayed that my heart space would be one of humility and openness, both to what God wanted to show me, and to what he wanted me to learn while I was there. On a short-term trip to a ministry partner, it is all too easy to want to go and “fix” something or to have a “spiritual experience.” But while traveling to Africa did end up being a life changing experience, God had so much more that he wanted to show me. My experience was not a big “shout out” from God about why I was there or my purpose for going. Rather, what I found in Africa was so much deeper. I got to see that, yes, God sometimes shows us things in a “Moses and the burning bush” kind of way. But he also meets us in the quiet spaces. God not only grew my heart in Africa, but also met me in the still, quiet spaces, and I want to share some of what I learned there.
From the moment we arrived in Africa, our team was met with such welcome and kindness by some of the staff from Africa Renewal University (AfRU) who had come to the airport to greet us. Three planes, 22 hours of flying, and one o’ clock in the morning, with hugs and handshakes, I could already see the beauty of being part of the family of God. Here I was, nine thousand miles from home, and God was there with me. As we made our way by bus to where we were lodging, with weary bodies and bleary eyes, there was laughter and joy and the presence of the Holy Spirit.
The next day we met more of the staff from the university and split up into the teams we would be serving with for the next eight days. Our teams included the medical team, the film team, and the finance team. I was part of the group serving with the medical team.
To say that God worked in miraculous ways would be an understatement. I think of the blessings with the medical team. When we arrived at the airport in Kampala, half of the medical supplies for the eye clinic were confiscated during the customs process. After much prayer and advocating from AfRU medical staff as well as members of our team, all the supplies were returned. I think of the film team and the new relationships built with a media center in the community. While those were such evident, beautiful blessings from God, I am also reminded of the less obvious ways that Christ works in our hearts and in relationship. I think of my conversation with Nelson, who was the head of the medical center. He also goes by “Prince Nelly Worshipper,” because he writes and sings worship songs. He shared his praise music with me, and we talked about our love for Christ and our faith. I think of the children I met on our visit to the schools out in the community. I was so inspired by how the Holy Spirit was working in their little hearts as we sang songs together. I think of the students I met in the Social Work Department who shared their heart and love for Social Work and serving others. I think of my conversation with a woman named Kristine, who works at the University, as we both shared our testimonies with one another, and how God was working in our lives.
Finally, I want to share an experience I had while serving in the medical center. It was the day when the eye clinic was open to those in the surrounding communities, and I was there to serve as part of the psychosocial support to staff and patients. Many of the patients being seen spoke a different language than me, making communication a little challenging. Regardless of the language barrier, I saw how God was working. Through hand gestures and eye contact, we were able to communicate with one another in a way that expressed God’s love. What struck me in that moment was that here we both were, having little understanding of what the other was saying, yet the love of Christ transcended language, culture, or continents. I thought of Isaiah 66: 18, “And I, because of their actions and their imaginations, am about to come and gather all nations and tongues, and they will come and see my glory.” I share these experiences as examples of how God faithfully meets us in the simple, quiet moments. Those intimate spaces with others become profound opportunities to share, and bear witness to the love of Christ. I thank God for this experience and for growing my heart and my faith in ways I could have never foreseen. I thank God for the still, small, quiet spaces where he is moving and remains faithful and sovereign.
From the moment we arrived in Africa, our team was met with such welcome and kindness by some of the staff from Africa Renewal University (AfRU) who had come to the airport to greet us. Three planes, 22 hours of flying, and one o’ clock in the morning, with hugs and handshakes, I could already see the beauty of being part of the family of God. Here I was, nine thousand miles from home, and God was there with me. As we made our way by bus to where we were lodging, with weary bodies and bleary eyes, there was laughter and joy and the presence of the Holy Spirit.
The next day we met more of the staff from the university and split up into the teams we would be serving with for the next eight days. Our teams included the medical team, the film team, and the finance team. I was part of the group serving with the medical team.
To say that God worked in miraculous ways would be an understatement. I think of the blessings with the medical team. When we arrived at the airport in Kampala, half of the medical supplies for the eye clinic were confiscated during the customs process. After much prayer and advocating from AfRU medical staff as well as members of our team, all the supplies were returned. I think of the film team and the new relationships built with a media center in the community. While those were such evident, beautiful blessings from God, I am also reminded of the less obvious ways that Christ works in our hearts and in relationship. I think of my conversation with Nelson, who was the head of the medical center. He also goes by “Prince Nelly Worshipper,” because he writes and sings worship songs. He shared his praise music with me, and we talked about our love for Christ and our faith. I think of the children I met on our visit to the schools out in the community. I was so inspired by how the Holy Spirit was working in their little hearts as we sang songs together. I think of the students I met in the Social Work Department who shared their heart and love for Social Work and serving others. I think of my conversation with a woman named Kristine, who works at the University, as we both shared our testimonies with one another, and how God was working in our lives.
Finally, I want to share an experience I had while serving in the medical center. It was the day when the eye clinic was open to those in the surrounding communities, and I was there to serve as part of the psychosocial support to staff and patients. Many of the patients being seen spoke a different language than me, making communication a little challenging. Regardless of the language barrier, I saw how God was working. Through hand gestures and eye contact, we were able to communicate with one another in a way that expressed God’s love. What struck me in that moment was that here we both were, having little understanding of what the other was saying, yet the love of Christ transcended language, culture, or continents. I thought of Isaiah 66: 18, “And I, because of their actions and their imaginations, am about to come and gather all nations and tongues, and they will come and see my glory.” I share these experiences as examples of how God faithfully meets us in the simple, quiet moments. Those intimate spaces with others become profound opportunities to share, and bear witness to the love of Christ. I thank God for this experience and for growing my heart and my faith in ways I could have never foreseen. I thank God for the still, small, quiet spaces where he is moving and remains faithful and sovereign.
