"While sitting in a chair...I became aware that a personality had entered the room. A man had come quietly in upon the same errand as myself and sat in the chair next to me. Every word he uttered...showed a personal and vital interest in the man who was serving him...
Moody was in the next chair. I purposely lingered in the room after he left and noted the singular effect his visit had upon the barbers in that shop. They talked in undertones. They did not know his name, but they knew that something had elevated their thought. And I felt that I left that place as I should have left a place of worship.
Woodrow Wilson witnessed and experienced Mr. Dwight L. Moody's extraordinary ability--many said supernatural ability--to captivate people and usher them into the presence of Jesus Christ."
The thing that strikes me about this scene is that Moody isn't trying to impress anyone; he's just going about his everyday business. He's not out doing a ministry gig either, acting the part of the preacher. This is who he was--an authentic guy who loved God and people. In that ordinary place he was the fragrance of Christ, and people noticed.
Being in the presence of someone like this is exhilarating and challenging (in a good way). On the few occasions when I have been with someone like this, I've been urged in my spirit to be like that person. I've tried to figure it out. What do they have? What do they do? How can I get it? And the answer is simple.
Be in the presence of God.
Sit at His feet.
Learn from Him.
Submit to Him.
Die to myself.
Simple? Not really. But doable, yes.
Moody was in the next chair. I purposely lingered in the room after he left and noted the singular effect his visit had upon the barbers in that shop. They talked in undertones. They did not know his name, but they knew that something had elevated their thought. And I felt that I left that place as I should have left a place of worship.
Woodrow Wilson witnessed and experienced Mr. Dwight L. Moody's extraordinary ability--many said supernatural ability--to captivate people and usher them into the presence of Jesus Christ."
A Passion for Souls, p. 20
This excerpt from A Passion for Souls, a biography of D.L. Moody, nearly brought me to tears. It stirred my heart to think that a person--just by the way he relates to others, how he carries himself, how he speaks--can change the entire atmosphere of a room and make it holy. What influence.
The thing that strikes me about this scene is that Moody isn't trying to impress anyone; he's just going about his everyday business. He's not out doing a ministry gig either, acting the part of the preacher. This is who he was--an authentic guy who loved God and people. In that ordinary place he was the fragrance of Christ, and people noticed.
Being in the presence of someone like this is exhilarating and challenging (in a good way). On the few occasions when I have been with someone like this, I've been urged in my spirit to be like that person. I've tried to figure it out. What do they have? What do they do? How can I get it? And the answer is simple.
Be in the presence of God.
Sit at His feet.
Learn from Him.
Submit to Him.
Die to myself.
Simple? Not really. But doable, yes.
Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. (Matt. 5:16)
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