At approximately 7pm on Tuesday night I received a phone call from a friend telling me there was an open spot to join them in Florida at The Gospel Coalition National Women's Conference. I was thrilled. God was blessing and showing His goodness in so many ways!
There had been debate as early as Christmas about me going to the conference for the obvious benefits of sitting under great Biblical teaching and learning how to minister to other women through the Word. After consideration it was decided that this was not the right time for me to go. It was more disappointing because my mother and sister who live in California were going to the conference. They would be so close and yet I was not going to be able to see them. We had gone to the True Woman conference in Chicago a few years together and were sad to miss out on this time of fellowship.
Fast forward to Tuesday night. Not only did I want to go to the conference because it was going to be a great conference, I also wanted to get to know these women I would be travelling and staying with but I would also be able to surprise my mom and sister. It was more then I could hope for or imagine.
Tommy of course agreed that this was important and God was providing...I needed to go. Wednesday I suffered through a long conversation with my mom, fighting the urge to tell her I was coming and Thursday morning we left bright and early.
*A small spiritual side note here that I hope to explore more in the future: When I was done with that phone call on Tuesday my first and reactive response was to worship the good Creator and Provider God who was blessing me in such an amazing way. It was encouraging and an answer to prayer to see that work in me. I have been praying that God would enable me to respond appropriately to situations He put me in (emotionally joyful in huge blessing or sad and sorrowful in loss). I struggle with shutting off and not "feeling" until later. So this was evidence of God answering that prayer.
On Friday morning I walked to my mother's hotel and enlisted the help of my step-dad Mark in California to get her hotel room. Then, standing outside her door, I sent her a text: Did you make it? No response. Another one: God is good Mommy. Go open the door. I stood there heart pounding waiting. I could hear her talking on the phone inside. I sent another text to Mark asking him to get off the phone so she would respond to her texts. The conversation ended but still the door wasn't opened. I sent one more: Did you open the door?
Screams! Tears! Hugs! It was priceless!
My sister was just as surprised though it was a little less dramatic tracking her down.
Now we are together again at a wonderful conference. I will have more to share as I process through the teaching of God's Word this weekend but I encourage you to listen as you can on the website as the plenary sessions are streaming for you!
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