When the Lord put a desire in your heart, you always wait expectantly for news that allows you to put your foot in the Jordan River so He can part the water. No matter how long it has been, He won’t let you forget it. He will always keep you at peak interest for that is His heart’s desire for you.
For many years now, the Lord instilled in me the desire to become a Christian speaker to a group of people I am afraid of - women. I started, then stopped, then started and stopped. I told the Lord I had nothing interesting to tell. Nothing I’ve been through was unique (1 Cor. 10:13). My life had not been easy, but neither had it been thrilling or thriving.
So, the Lord took me on a journey of challenges which were very common: Last year, our house was hit with a tree. Two weeks later, before the adjuster came to evaluate the disaster, our kitchen was caught on fire. We had to move out for two months. It was hard for our children. It changed their attitudes on life.
Also, this past couple of years have been especially challenging to my family due to family illnesses. In August of this year, we lost my father-in-law to cancer and my mother to liver cirrhosis – back to back. This left a hole in our hearts and we battled this on a daily basis. It was hard for the children, my husband and me. We couldn’t talk to one another. There was nothing to discuss. We already knew what each is going through. The only way to make it go away is to bring them back, but we already knew the answer to that.
Though, I tried to stay positive, I became depressed. I had “nightmares”. I couldn’t sleep at night and extremely tired during the day. I made numerous mistakes at work. And, I bump heads with my co-workers. Graciously, they calmly corrected me. This humbled me tremendously. And, I went back to the throne of grace. I asked Him to renew my courage and strength and open doors for me to serve Him; to cause me to see and wisdom to recognize His directions.
Then, one evening, I was cooking and was in a pretty good mood, actually. The phone rang, I answered, this excited lady at the other end was talking a million miles an hour (well, that’s a little bit of an exaggeration, but she was talking quite fast). She told me she went to the Women of Faith conference and she’s taken on their challenge to become a woman of faith-to present the love of Christ to women and invite them to join her for the next conference.
I didn’t really understand her at the time. But, I told her I would think about it because I don’t have many ladies and I wasn’t sure it was worth her time to make the trip. She said, “I think I would come, even if it was just you.” She said as long as I was willing to listen, she would come and talk with me because if she could make a difference in my life, it would be worth her time. She sounded confident and comforting.
She was willing. She didn’t care if she was presenting to 10 or 1. She just wanted a chance to make a difference in someone’s life. She made such an impact in my life that all I could think of the next day was what she said to me. The fact that she was willing to travel for nearly two hours just for me, tickles me. It caused me to reflect on my own willingness to serve.
Thank you, Melody. You brought me back to writing and you’ve inspired me not to give up and take each assignment, large or small, as life changing opportunity. For as long as I live I will always remember your words that brought me back to His work. May God bless you and keep you moving contagiously about His kingdom. You are a woman who fears the Lord. I am grateful to our God and to you for the opportunity to have spoken with you and for your courage to wake me up from my pity stupor by making that call.
“The Sovereign Lord has given me an instructed tongue to know the word that sustains the weary...” (Isaiah 50:4a).
