I’m sitting here in the still quiet of the morning with
my mind reeling from the emotional ups & downs of this weekend.
After weeks of pushing the possibility of watching the
(in)courage (in)RL weekend out of my mind, because I knew it wasn’t an option
after recovering from surgery & I would have tons of things to do, God told
me through a worn out body & thirsty spirit late Friday afternoon to
register & watch in the comfort of my own home. So I listened & obeyed.
Early Saturday morning I awoke, fixed a cup of coffee
& settled in for what I thought was an hour of hearing about a girlfriend’s
weekend at the beach.
What I experienced was a day of God’s loving arms wrapping
Himself around me in a big warm embrace whispering in my ear, “I love you my
daughter, feel my presence, feel my strength, feel my protection, feel my love.
I am with you & I will encourage you, I will give you courage.”
Although I was alone watching the webcast I
NEVER felt alone. As I listened to the blog posts and the messages shared by so
many of the women I caught a glimpse of my reflection in my computer screen,
tears streamed down my face as I listened to stories of ladies who have walked
the same path & experienced the same hurts & fears I have experienced.
As Teri Lynne Underwood shared her story of staying in
community & in the spotlight when all she wanted to do was run I thought,
“Finally someone understands the gripping fear & pain I have felt!” There
have been days when I felt the glare of the spotlight focused directly on me
while inside my heart & mind were screaming, “God take this spotlight off
of me! Please let me serve you somewhere else! Please just let me runaway!”
But, instead of saying “Ok, you can leave this community and go somewhere
else.” He said, “No, my child, I still have work to do & I want to do it
through you, just trust me to give you the courage.”
“Sometimes
when we stay our testimony isn’t about us at all – it’s entirely about Him.”
@TeriLynneU #inRL
“God
is our refuge & strength, an ever-present help in trouble.” Psalm 46:1
As Angie Smith shared her story, her quote
“Don’t
run from an opportunity where God is trying to grow you into a powerful woman
of God.” @AngieSmith19 #inRL
hit me hard.
Oh how my tendency is to run when things get hard. But
God has been teaching me and trying to grow me in this area.
I cower at
confrontation. It’s as simple as that.
When confrontation arises I want to find
the darkest corner & curl up into a ball & hide. But I know I can do
all things through Christ who gives me Strength.
Instead of running to the dark corner and curling up in
a ball I must lean on Him & trust that He will do what He says He will do.
And when I do, I can stand tall in His Strength! With each step of obedience to Him I am learning to be more courageous!
I wish I had more time to share with you the many ways
(in)RL 2013 ministered to me. Maybe in the next few days I’ll be able to share
more but just in case I don’t get a chance I’ll leave you with a few other
quotes & lessons that ministered to my soul.
·
Mentors are like anchors; they keep us grounded
when things get rough.
·
“The path of least resistance is to retreat…but
that’s the worst choice I can make.” @robindance #inRL
·
“How will leaving affect this community? It’s
not just about you, it’s about the people who are still there.” @stacy29Lincoln
#inRL
·
“People are longing to talk…sometimes we just
need to set up ‘benches’ in our lives to give them a place to do it.”
@emilypfreeman #inRL
·
“When you remain under the discipline &
guidance of God it will lead you to a path that is filled with Joy.”
@Sally_Clarkson #inRL
You can read what (in)RL 2013 meant to others by
visiting (in)courage, I am linked with them today. And if you’re visiting from
(in)courage thank you for stopping by, won’t you please leave a comment &
say hello.
In His Calm,
Mary
