In church, when we had choirs, i would often have to fight tears, for the music, but, also, for words in various sermons.
When our children were young, we visited, then joined a church whose pastor had a terminal illness.
When he preached, he “wasted no time” getting to the heart of Jesus’ message. i sensed his heart for Jesus in our first tentative visit, before i knew about his diagnosis, he did not mention it in his sermons. We soon learned about his illness, and the hundreds+hundreds of prayers dedicated to him, his wife, their 5 grown children. Prayers were answered, he was with us for a number of years longer than doctors warned, an unwavering, gentle, but fervently passionate pastor for Jesus. i miss those years and times and the people we encountered there.
There is nothing like a terminal diagnosis to reveal our hearts and passions.
(correction: inverno = winter)
This pastor taught me about the importance of passions in our earthly lives. God allows us exquisite passions wherein we glimpse His magnificence. Even glimpses of His Greatness are “too much” for our meager human souls to grasp.
John 16:12
https://biblehub.com/john/16-12.htm
when we see enough to be humbled, then we have seen.11and in regard to judgment, because the prince of this world has been condemned.
12 I still have much to tell you, but you cannot yet bear to hear it.
13However, when the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all truth.
For He will not speak on His own, but He will speak what He hears, and He will declare to you what is to come.…