…the lights go out and the crowd falls silent. All that can be heard now is the shuffling of feet as everyone gathers their things and prepares to leave. They are talking ever so quietly, almost soberly, afraid to break the tangible atmosphere.

Yet, I am still on that precipice, the pinnacle, soaring heights that have barely been reached. Touching heaven with my entire being. Body and soul enraptured in His presence. Entwined with Him. In Awe of Him, His Glory and His Magnificent Presence.

Still singing with the Angels, still basking in His Glory. Unable to stop the tears from falling from my eyes. Still breathing in His Beauty, still making raspy sounds that resonate in the Heavens – my voice has grown frail and husky, but I’m certain it still sounds beautiful to Him.

Holy, holy, holy! Lord, God Almighty! Hallelujah in the Highest! Glory to the King! Worthy is the Lamb! Blessing, Honour, Glory and Power to Him who sits upon the Throne! And He shall Reign Forever and ever!

How can we just pack up and go home after this? How can we drag ourselves from this experience, this sacred place? How can life as we know it go on? Is there anything that can match an ‘Upper Room’ moment? What does one do when they have touched the Hand of God?

It’s taken me weeks to re-enter the land of the living in my full capacity. I could barely put into words, to even my closest friends, what I had experienced at Hillsong Worship and Creative Conference this past October.

It was surreal yet so very real; revelation-full and revolutionary; clarity giving and perspective changing; awe inspiring and heart-breaking; full of wonder yet so down-to-earth. It was truly one of the greatest experiences of my life.

I so wanted to stay there. In that place, in His presence, in the very Throne room of God. Singing with the Angels. What better place to spend our days?

But after much wrestling and grief, reality set in and God gently reminded me that this glimpse was for but a moment. There are things to still do here on earth. Our gifts, calling, talents are to be used to ‘go into all the world’, to proclaim His name to the broken, down-cast and dying, to release the captives, to set the prisoners free, to bring the sinner home.

We are to be His hands and His feet on the earth, to shine His light for all men to see and know that there is a God, a Saviour who wants to welcome them home.

I came to realise that this moment, this experience in His presence was a treat, a taster if you like, of what Heaven will be like. For now that we have seen His glory and basked in His presence in the ‘Upper Room’, for but a moment, our souls will want to gather everyone, so they can experience His beauty, His glory as we have done.

It wasn’t so much that the curtain fell and the show was over, it was more that the window between ‘The Sacred Place’ and earth had been opened wide, curtains pulled back to welcome us to peek in – and now the curtain had fallen back into place in front of the open window.

You see, the window is never closed. We can always access His presence and experience His glory. The Holy Spirit dwells within us. We have direct connection to God. But, it takes effort, communication, time, prayer, reading and dwelling in The Word, worship and praising God to get a glimpse past the curtain into The Holy of Holies.

And now that I have seen, I can’t go back. I want everyone to know, see and experience it for themselves. It’s what we were created for – to bring glory, honour and praise to our God.

Won’t you come with me on this journey called life, as we shine Jesus into this world, make Him known and draw all men unto Him? Are you willing to work for it, putting your hands to the plough, using your gifts and talents, your creativity to make Jesus name great?

…and maybe, just maybe, we might get another glimpse of His magnificent Glory this side of Eternity.