Cleaning out a drawer a few weeks ago was like perusing a scrapbook of my life over this last year and a half. Every item I pick up is a memory…
There are a multitude of business and ministry cards, notes and addresses scribbled on scrap pieces of paper in languages I barely understand, from all over the world;
There are pictures, receipts, plane tickets; boarding passes; cards, letters, a Scottish 1 pound note, and a small piece of marble from Iona with a cross etched on one side that causes me to pause…
closing my eyes I hold hold it close for a moment.

And as I do a I am transported back in time…

It is an unusually warm day in May, the wind is blowing hard but the sun is out and it is lovely. Four years have passed since I last stood on the shore of this little island, and I am glad to be back.
Long have I dreamed of the day.

My hearts desire is to walk every inch of the island possible and pray, but this is not to be the case; my back is out from past injuries, and every step is agonizingly painful.
But this day, by Gods grace, I am determined to climb Dun I , the highest peak on the island.

Iona is a special place; a “thin place” as the Celts would say, where the veil between heaven and earth is thinner and sometimes lifted.
On an island such as this one may see angels…

Slowly I make my way down the narrow lane, climb over the fence and begin my trek. At first I walk through a boggy sheep pasture, dotted with newborn lambs nestling close to their mothers. One curious little fellow wobbles up to me; he is so adorable and sweet this tiny lamb.
And I muse…
We are all lambs; sheep in the Lords pasture…
Our Lord Jesus is the Good Shepherd watching over us;
and yet, our Saviour was, and is, the Lamb of God, slain from the foundation of the world…
The perfect sacrifice for our sins that we might inherit eternal life.
What a blessed mystery.

There is no clear path to follow; as there sometimes is not in life.
I pray as I make my way up the hill, climbing at times over boulders and mucking my way through the bogs. It feels as though the wind is pushing me ever upwards, the Spirit pulling me ever higher.
And as I climb, I am blessed by the stark beauty of the terrain and I realize I am not alone.

When at last I reach the top, the wind is blowing so hard I can barely stand upright. I lean into it and yet am held as unseen arms enfold me. The powerful reality of the Holy Spirits presence is upon me, with me and in me.
And there are angels there.

Gazing out in every direction, down to the crystal blue water and white sandy beaches below, across the sea towards the mainland, we stand there…
I am grateful for these who watch over and protect us; who throughout the ages have fought on behalf of the saints; against powers and principalities we know so little about.
my heart is captivated by the Lords love for this land and it’s people and am again made aware of the signifcance of this humble place.
My spirit wells up in prayer, in a song of praise and thanksgiving. I am in awe.
And then it rises up in warfare.
There are angels around me, and far away, yet close, they are warring in the heavenlies for the heart of this nation, for Scotland. And then my eyes look out across the ocean towards Ireland…
It is impossible for me to describe what was imparted to my spirit that day.

They are singing praises to the Lamb of God, and they are fighting in the unseen battle that is raging all around that most will never see. They respond to our prayers;
And they are watching over us all.

At the same time across the other side a small band of believers are also trekking around the island, following the leading of the Holy Spirit; partaking of the same anointing, called to a task of great importance.
Iona has been called the spiritual gateway to Scotland, and there is a battle for it’s control in the spiritual realm.
There are no limits to our God, He is everywhere, with all of His people at all times.
Though we were apart, in the spirit we were together; yet unaware of it.
And there were angels with them too…

When we reunite I sit with two brothers to hear the tale of their journey that day. The glory of the Lord shines brightly in one of their eyes, his face alight, shining as Moses must have when he came down from the mountain. My spirit leaps with joy and I am caught up in the retelling. I can see it, feel it, again I am in awe.
There is no doubt in my mind…

It was not the only time the angels revealed themselves during those few days.
Not everyone saw them, not everyone felt them.
Why this is I do not know, but such is the case for most of us, most of the time. The Lord knows; it’s His prerogative to choose when, and where, and to whom these experiences are granted and I am certain it has nothing much to do with us, but is all about Him.

I return to the drawer, smiling wistfully at the remembrance.
How our lives get so consumed by the everyday world in which we live.
But in this drawer, memories abound.
There are things I treasure here, not for their earthly value, but because they are reminders of special encounters I have had with the Lord. Moments that have changed me and how I see the world. Moments that only leave me hungering for more of Jesus love, His grace, and the reality of His life to manifest in mine.

I set the small stone down by my lamp where it remains, a small but powerful reminder of what has been, and a token of what yet lies ahead.
A reminder of Jesus, my dearly beloved and precious Redeemer, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world!

***********************************************

I started this a few weeks ago; drafted it for a later time; then forgot about it until tonight.
As I was preparing dinner the Holy Spirit overcame me and suddenly I was in Scotland for a moment, filled with the Lords heart for her. It was unexpected, unlooked for and unexplainable.
Tears welled up in my eyes as my heart was so stirred I could not talk for a while. Then I remembered this, and knew I had to post it.
So here it is, and if it challenges you I ask you only to pray, and then dig into the Word and read of the many, many encounters Gods people have always had.
Like Elisha in II Kings 6:17 I pray, Lord open their eyes that they may see!

Every Blessing to you as you draw ever closer to Jesus, the precious Lamb Of God!