Last August, sitting at the table on the last night of the Declare Conference I heard Eryn Hall announce that the tickets would shortly be on sale for this year’s conference and that the theme would be “Beautiful Deep”. My heart skipped a beat. I wanted to go straight to my computer and log on and order my ticket.
But I didn’t.
Something, Someone said: “wait”. So I did. Time passed.
Later, I read that there were only 4 tickets left. And I tried, but they were gone already.
I resigned myself to the fact that I would not be attending this year.
And then- there was this conversation on FB regarding the wait list and that everyone would be notified in the order they were on the wait list when a ticket came available. Still I hesitated to put my name on the list. I wanted to be sure that I was not taking a spot that was meant for someone else, perhaps someone who had not been and was just starting down the road of blogging her faith to the world.
So….
I posted something to the effect: “if you get to the end of the wait list and find that there is a ticket available I would like to come; but I don’t want to keep anyone else from the opportunity.”
The week before the conference I got an email. There was a ticket available if I still wanted one. I bought it! And I’m so glad I did.
Here’s why:
In the scorching hot heat of this Texas summer that melts our very bones it was like a spring rain.
Texas style.
There was a torrential downpour of words that kept pointing me back to my purpose, to our purpose in Christ.
I heard Words of Life, Beautiful Words, Wonderful Words, Wonderful Words of Life.
They are the ethos of that old hymn I grew up singing. Such great treasure troves of wisdom were delivered to us.
“Your life’s purpose is to give God Glory.”
“The world is always telling us who we aren’t, God tells us who we are.”
“If Jesus is not in the heart of it, may I be so bold, you are wasting your time.”
“Plant deep the things of God into deep places of your heart.”
“Sometimes, just because you are good at something, it may not be what you are made for.”
“We were made to swim in deep water in a life that requires Jesus; where life doesn’t make sense without Him.”
“Using someone else’s voice is exhausting; using your own is effortless.”
“A heart willing to hear ‘no’ can be trusted with a ‘yes’.”
“Do the work of an evangelist-speak Truth and Life. Fulfill you ministry. We are Digital Evangelists. It all matters!”
“Never publish unless you read a post aloud before you post.”
“When He interrupts it’s a good thing-always.”
“You can only be where you are; if you wait until you are where you want to be you will miss a lot.”
And, finally, I think this one thing is just now sinking in-deep: “Sometimes, it’s the dream you never intended to birth….”
Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, oh Lord, my strength, and my redeemer. Psalm 19:14
I am in a season of waiting, meditating on His Word, and for the first time in a long time I am content to dream of what might be.