It's been such a pleasure to get to post other's She Speaks stories on my blog. A friend today reminded me that I still haven't posted my own. She's right, and I'd be remiss not to do it! I will have to admit that it's been wonderful to be able to catch up on my sleep while I had the chance to share for others!!
The last two She Speaks were revolutionary in my life. The first year, God confirmed the calling that I was so afraid to acknowledge. Last year, God exposed a place of sin in my heart that I didn't even realized had crept in. This year, I spoke out loud in the car on the way to Concord, "Lord, I don't know what you'll do this year, but I'm ready and I'm completely open!"
Even being open, I didn't get a huge epiphany this year. I wasn't at all disappointed, though. This whole year of my life has been about finding joy in other's God-stories. I've known God is real and active as long as I can remember. My parents took us to church with joy and led family devotions that drew us closer to Him and to each other. They were such instruments in showing God to me from the very beginning.
But sometimes, you just get tired. At least, I do. Do you? Sometimes I've let God be diminished to my own intellectual exercise and His activities shrink to the size of my own ambition. She Speaks blew all those cobwebs of forgetfullness away. As I listened to story after story of God's forgiveness, provision, redemption and unimaginable power, my heart remembered that He is real, He is BIG and He is involved in every detail of our lives. I needed the refresher course.
I'm going to change the names in this story, but I want to tell one more of a woman's story who intertwined with my own at She Speaks.
I first saw Susan in the hall as she walked toward registration with a look of hesitancy on her face. "Can I help you with anything?" I asked. Susan began slowly and then picked up speed with passion. "I was wondering if you have any scholarships available for my daughter," she said. "She's 13, and she's home alone today. The people who were going to stay with her had to back out at the last minute. She's ok for now, because we live close by. I can't leave her all weekend, though, so I was wondering if you have a scholarship for her to attend Next Generation here this weekend."
I didn't know anything about the scholarships, but I know The Queen (LeAnn, our executive director). Sure enough, after a connection was made, Susan's daughter was given a scholarship for the weekend. Susan was excited but nervous. She told me that her daughter had been going through a hard time and that she might not be pleased about coming to join the group of teen girls.
The next day during a break, I ran across Susan again and asked if her daughter was enjoying the conference. "Oh yes!" she exclaimed. "She talked all the way home last night and all the way back this morning." Susan paused and then added, "I actually think that She Speaks was for her all along rather than for me."
Susan told me that her daughter had recently revealed that she had been sexually abused when she was 6. It all came to light after Susan had found her daughter cutting herself and had started asking her about the depression and change that had come over her. The months before the conference had been tremendously difficult. Susan felt her daughter slipping away--away from her and and away from her faith. Susan was at the end of her rope. As a single mom, she had been desparately crying out to the Lord to save her daughter and to heal her.
God is real. He is at work, and He answered a mother's prayer for her daughter through She Speaks. Mother and daughter left having been touched with the reality of God's love and care for them. The look of joy on both of their beautiful faces as they left on Sunday isn't something that I'll soon forget.
I used to ride roller-coasters for an adrenaline rush, but it's nothing compared to the rush of seeing the transformation of lives by Jesus Christ. Am I becoming an adreneline junkie? I hope so! I hope that I never, ever get tired of being surprised and delighted by God. My friend Christie says, "He's such a show-off!" He really is, and don't you just love Him more every day because of it?!
The last two She Speaks were revolutionary in my life. The first year, God confirmed the calling that I was so afraid to acknowledge. Last year, God exposed a place of sin in my heart that I didn't even realized had crept in. This year, I spoke out loud in the car on the way to Concord, "Lord, I don't know what you'll do this year, but I'm ready and I'm completely open!"
Even being open, I didn't get a huge epiphany this year. I wasn't at all disappointed, though. This whole year of my life has been about finding joy in other's God-stories. I've known God is real and active as long as I can remember. My parents took us to church with joy and led family devotions that drew us closer to Him and to each other. They were such instruments in showing God to me from the very beginning.
But sometimes, you just get tired. At least, I do. Do you? Sometimes I've let God be diminished to my own intellectual exercise and His activities shrink to the size of my own ambition. She Speaks blew all those cobwebs of forgetfullness away. As I listened to story after story of God's forgiveness, provision, redemption and unimaginable power, my heart remembered that He is real, He is BIG and He is involved in every detail of our lives. I needed the refresher course.
I'm going to change the names in this story, but I want to tell one more of a woman's story who intertwined with my own at She Speaks.
I first saw Susan in the hall as she walked toward registration with a look of hesitancy on her face. "Can I help you with anything?" I asked. Susan began slowly and then picked up speed with passion. "I was wondering if you have any scholarships available for my daughter," she said. "She's 13, and she's home alone today. The people who were going to stay with her had to back out at the last minute. She's ok for now, because we live close by. I can't leave her all weekend, though, so I was wondering if you have a scholarship for her to attend Next Generation here this weekend."
I didn't know anything about the scholarships, but I know The Queen (LeAnn, our executive director). Sure enough, after a connection was made, Susan's daughter was given a scholarship for the weekend. Susan was excited but nervous. She told me that her daughter had been going through a hard time and that she might not be pleased about coming to join the group of teen girls.
The next day during a break, I ran across Susan again and asked if her daughter was enjoying the conference. "Oh yes!" she exclaimed. "She talked all the way home last night and all the way back this morning." Susan paused and then added, "I actually think that She Speaks was for her all along rather than for me."
Susan told me that her daughter had recently revealed that she had been sexually abused when she was 6. It all came to light after Susan had found her daughter cutting herself and had started asking her about the depression and change that had come over her. The months before the conference had been tremendously difficult. Susan felt her daughter slipping away--away from her and and away from her faith. Susan was at the end of her rope. As a single mom, she had been desparately crying out to the Lord to save her daughter and to heal her.
God is real. He is at work, and He answered a mother's prayer for her daughter through She Speaks. Mother and daughter left having been touched with the reality of God's love and care for them. The look of joy on both of their beautiful faces as they left on Sunday isn't something that I'll soon forget.
I used to ride roller-coasters for an adrenaline rush, but it's nothing compared to the rush of seeing the transformation of lives by Jesus Christ. Am I becoming an adreneline junkie? I hope so! I hope that I never, ever get tired of being surprised and delighted by God. My friend Christie says, "He's such a show-off!" He really is, and don't you just love Him more every day because of it?!
Posts
3 comments:
Amy - I loved this post! It is such a cool idea to think of our journey with God as a fantastic and thrilling roller coaster ride! It most certainly has been for me, and I hope I continue to be an adrenaline junkie right along side you!
Hi - I just wandered over from Lysa's blog and found this story. I was at She Speaks too, and I think this is the best story I have heard. Thanks for sharing it.
Post a Comment