Ephesians 3:20-21 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.
Imagine, that GOD can do immeasurably more than we can even ask…
As I drove to my dear friend Rachel’s home during the wee hours last Friday morning, we were not prepared according to most. We carried nothing but a tank of gas, two tickets given as gifts, a hotel reservation, a GPS pointing west in the direction of Indianapolis, and a small bundle of joy named Baby T. We talked, well about lots of things, but mostly that we held no expectations, just open hands to receive whatever the Lord chose to bestow.
And that He did…
Speaker after speaker, musician after musician, drama to worship, from a young child to a veteran earth-walker – God showed up in the unique and uniquely-gifted hearts of his daughters and sons. Sheila Walsh, Dr. Henry Cloud, Lisa Harper, Luci Swindoll, Nicole Johnson, Natalie Grant, Erica Campbell from Mary Mary, and Angie Smith each shared a message the Lord has given them, straight from their hearts to mine. I found myself torn from being drawn into the moment, to desperately wanting to press pause, and even rewind as to soak up each word that was spoken and/or sung. It was literally a moment to moment pause… should I tweet that, do I write it down, do I simply listen, or was it something to let marinate as the words settled in my soul. I simply did not want miss a thing.
This is what I’m finding to be the beauty of this walk with the Lord – moment to moment joy, not in knowing what is to come next, but in simply participating and joining in the ride. If I could whittle down this event into one statement, it would be this:
The Lord guides, He provides, and He gives above and beyond even our wildest imaginations.
God treated us as princesses this weekend. We did, in fact, receive the royal treatment. It wasn’t that we deserved it, any more than the precious ladies sitting around us. It was that He simply chose to give. It was our job to receive. Sometimes it’s hard to be on the receiving end, yet I have to believe that taking steps of obedience leads us on the path of being prepared, as Beth Moore spoke of just a week ago prior. Through circumstances that can’t be fully explained, we were ushered to the “front of the line” not once, but several times. And in doing so, we were ushered into his Presence in an even more tangible way. What an amazing privilege and opportunity!
If you’re interested in reading more tidbits, commentaries, and inspiring take-aways, jump here, here, here, and here. While His words still linger in my head and settle in my heart, I want to leave you with a song that resonated with thousands of us in attendance. May it rock your soul today… It is Well, With My Soul.
In humble gratitude to Thomas Nelson Publishing and Booksneeze for making this trip possible, and for believing in the power of communicating and connecting to others through the body of Christ for all Christ’s children. God bless!
