Do you ever go somewhere, and wonder why am I here?
I went to the She Speaks Conference a few weeks ago. If it were not for God's nudging, and my hubby's strong encouragement, I probably wouldn't have gone. But then I would have missed God speaking to me.
Has that ever happened to you? You resist attending an event, but later, you realize you were meant to be there.
On the first day of the conference, I visited the Prayer Room.
The Proverbs 31 Ministries prayer team, led by LuAnn Prater, prayed a God-trait for each of the 650 women attending. Amazing! I felt so loved.
As suggested, I went to see which characteristic of God had been prayed for me.
After reviewing all the names of God, I found my name on the very last sheet of paper.
If you know my history, and God does, what I most need to know daily is His presence WITH me.
In this swarming sea of 650 strangers, He is with me.*
In my fears of meeting with two publishers to discuss my unfinished book proposal, He is with me.**
In my tired, He is with me.
He is with me despite my failures (my meltdown in D.C....not pretty), and despite my fears ("Why am I here?").
When God speaks to me, I listen. The Great I AM is WITH me (very ordinary me). My fears recede, and joy pokes her head out of her shell.
Several months before the conference, my dear friend gave me this verse in a card:
"The LORD is the one who goes ahead of you; He will be with you. He will not fail you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed." Deuteronomy 31:8
Our loving Father God knew my little girl heart, and its cries for help, needed - desperately- to be reminded: He is with me.
He will not abandon me. And He will not leave me alone without comfort and love.
If you are reading this today, may you know God is with you. If you seek for Him, and ask Him to be with you, He will come.
When I was eight, I asked Jesus to forgive me of my sins, and to sit on the throne of my heart, alone in my shared bedroom. And He came. My conversion was not dramatic, but it has been a slow and steady growth.
He spoke to my little girl heart, and I answered, "yes." And now it has been decades of learning to say "yes" when He speaks, and asking forgiveness when I say "no" to His "yes."
When has God clearly spoken to you? Or when has it become clear that you were meant to be some place?
Thank you for sharing. I always appreciate hearing from you.
* Thankfully, I met several very sweet sisters in Christ, as I sat with different people at five meals. It was especially fun to meet in person some of the bloggers that I follow.
** Each publisher gave me her business card, and said I could send a completed book proposal to her. As I talked to the first publisher (who was very kind), she suggested a new focus for a book proposal. Both ladies were very gracious. Next step, praying and writing another book proposal with a different focus. From Emily Freeman's great workshop, I learned she spent four months on her book proposal.
Thank you, dear friends, for your prayers while I was at the conference. I felt them. Thank you so much!
Read about Emily Wierenga's new book, Chasing Silhouettes, here.
Linking up with: wonderful Jennifer of Getting Down with Jesus, new friend Duane Scott of Scribing the Journey, and thoughtful Michelle of Graceful.
Copyright Soul Stops 2012/Dolly Lee.