Speaking in Tongues

"All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them." Acts 2:4

My first encounter with glossolalia, or, speaking in tongues, was back in grade school. It was during a Bible camp I had attended, in which the teachers gathered together during the last service to pray for the students. As I was still very young, the dark room full of gibberish was very frightening. It was as if the teachers were all in a trance, suddenly having become strangers. 

I had asked my parents what the teachers were saying after camp. They told me it was a form of praying. I soon got used to hearing such prayers. At times, I even wanted it for myself, as it seemed to me a marker for "good" spirituality.

After college, an opportunity came for me to receive the gift. A missionary had come to visit my parents. Before he left, the missionary came to my room and for reasons I do not quite remember, decided to ask God the gift of tongues for me. He told me to close my eyes and repeat after him. 

"La, la, la, la, la..." 

That was all that he had told me to say. I simply repeated after him. Soon, he complimented me on having good faith, and told me that I had now received the gift. I had not felt any different. I did not feel a burning in my soul. I did not fall into a trance. I felt rather stupid. 

Years went on, and I seldom chanted the magic words. I had hoped that something might change along the way, but I grew rather lukewarm to it. 

Recently, however, I had attended a retreat. I only made it for the last night's worship service, but I was bit expectant that night. I was truly hoping for a change in my life, but during prayer time, I had the hardest time concentrating. I closed my eyes and decided to chant the words yet again. 

"La, la, la, la, la..." 

All of a sudden, I felt dizzy, almost blinded by a light shining in front of me. I grew rather hot and my tongue seemed to be saying something, but I knew not what it was. I did not want to open my eyes. 

Prayer time seemed to end rather quickly, and the experience did not last long. However, I had realized something. Even prayer was a gift from God. It was something only possible through the Holy Spirit. Speaking in tongues was a confession to such beliefs. It was letting my soul worship God in ways that my physical body could not. 

I still am rather unsure of what the short experience really was, but I was glad to have realized that God indeed was in complete control. He was moving everything in perfect harmony, even my prayers.