About 3 weeks ago I saw a facebook update from someone I have known since I was 13. She updated her status with something like...headed to Denver to see my son. So I asked if we could meet for coffee...and we met at a coffee shop called Corino's. It just happened to be a day when a group was playing live worship in the coffee house...amazing. We have written to each other since I met her...real mail even...lol. Since I have kept every letter & just about every card ever written/sent to me since 1985 (in binders in chronological order), I brought most of her letters for her to read again. It was fun watching her go through and remember. Her son and I talked while she poured over the past and suddenly she stopped looked up and began to read again out loud "I am so glad you turned out to be" then she stopped again, held my face in her hands, looked me square in the eyes, and started over "I'm so glad you turned out to be such a beautiful young lady with goals and dreams." She said "you were one person I could never let go of, you had so many obstacles to overcome." Overcome I did, but only by the grace of God. Life got crazy after I met her, and it was and still is such a great thing to have her in my life.
Another glimpse was meeting two of my friends from 25 years ago. Debbie came out to attend the Deeper Still conference with me, and Victoria lives in a Denver suburb, we just haven't ever seen each other. Seeing both of them was like seeing them a week after we parted...it was as if time was stilled...they even looked the same! I love it! We all got together last night and were up VERY late talking and reminiscing. It's amazing to look back and actually be able to see the hand of God guiding, directing, protecting, and delivering. I am amazed by Him, and so honored to see my friends after all this time.
Hope for the Future
These were my lovely guests for the weekend. Left to right: Holly Smith, Debbie Helker, Melana Cummings, and me.
This past weekend was all about going deeper in God. I have struggled for about a month with where I am in life, where I want to be, and really if this is all worth the struggle. I told Holly not long before the conference that I really need to hear from God. I don't know how to begin to tell all that this weekend has meant to me.
We sat on my balcony early Friday morning, and each of us shared our expectations for this event. I wasn't the only one with a tall order and the Lord had some work to do. Not one of us was disappointed in the least. Friday evening, Kay Arthur spoke on shattered dreams. One of the first things she said was "is your ambition to please God, or to fulfill your longing." Right then and there, I knew we were headed for a doozie of a weekend. Friday night Debbie and I were up fairly late. We couldn't stop talking about what we had learned and just processing it all. I recall leaning over my bed and looking at her and telling her exactly where I was, and not only was every issue I had addressed by Priscilla Shirer the next day, she actually said word for word what I had said to Debbie the night before...word for word. I could hardly pull myself together after all was said and done. I am so glad they provided napkins in the box lunch because I cried while I ate...really, all I wanted was to lay out on the floor and pour my heart out to God. EVERYTHING Priscilla said hit me like a ton of bricks; but, the one thing I will cling to was the statement "The treasure is not in the discovery of His will, but in the journey in finding it." She spoke of the gap between the present and the calling, that it is the margin He has placed there to set us up to equip us, and having that gap creates the capacity for God to move. The last speaker was Beth Moore. The one thing I took from her teaching was to remain "Coram Deo - Before the face of God".
I felt so blessed to be able to hear the teaching of 3 awesome individuals, and even more blessed that the Lord joined us in our balcony & bed time conversations, and met each of us where we were. He is concerned with every aspect of our lives, and I am so very amazed by Him! It was a full weekend. Now to put it all into action, because I have a renewed hope for the future.
3 comments:
Sounds AMAZING - wish I could've been there, but so glad YOU got the blessing. And, what lovely company to be Blessed in! Great weekend!
He is watching to see that His Word is fulfilled over you, friend. And I am on the sidelines, cheering and jumping up and down (no not becuase I burned myself with coffee--though I am thinking of getting a coffee-patch--hee hee!).
Love you, Kate!
Holly
Thank you K (u know what that stands for LOL) for putting in to words a lot of what I was feeling. Holly: thank you also for reminding us that it is the Lord Himself who will help us to walk it out. I needed to hear that. I loved meeting my dear friend and a couple of her dear friends (and now I get to SHARE them!!!) and seeing our Tori was so wonderful. She was and is again to me a person with such a wonderful openness and caring that touches my heart. Lord, You have opened all these doors at this time for a purpose and I thank You!
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