The first day in kindergarten is horrific. Who are those people and why do I have to sit in my seat at this desk? No comfort on that day!
The first day of high school is terrible. Where is my locker and why do we have to change classes? No comfort then!
The first day of college is confusing. What do you mean I have to change not only classes but whole buildings that are blocks away from each other? Definitely no comfort!
The first day of a new job is awkward. Will I like these people? Am I capable of doing the work and will I ever be able to fit in and be a part of a team? By now we should be use to it but…well…admit it, it just is NOT comfortable!
*********************************************************************
And so in February 2003 Eleanor, Robin, Linda, Margie and I loaded up two vans and headed towards a new experience for all of us that took us totally out of that zone we love…comfort. We were on our way to our first ever convention, The National Religious Broadcasters Convention in Nashville, Tennessee. We were excited and we were nervous. We had no idea what to expect except that we felt confident God Himself was sending us there and there was a plan and we needed to fit into it.
Five women who do not know what they are doing, moving their booth and accompanying stuff into a convention center is quite a sight to witness. First we couldn’t find the loading dock. Margie saw some men standing by the place we thought was the right one so she got out of her van and asked direction. Margie is charm personified so they not only told us where to park the vans for unloading but also showed us the very spot, directed the vans as we backed into the dock and helped us unload! God provided just what we needed.
We hauled all the equipment and boxes to our assigned spot with the help of some very strong and gracious men, but as soon as they left we saw we had a problem. The “booth” was in two round containers. We opened them up and sat looking at the contents not even beginning to know where to begin. Just about that time God sent another angel in the form of a young man who just happened to be from Eleanor’s alma mater, Penn State. They became fast “college buddies” and not surprisingly he knew exactly how to set up the booth. Before long we had it all in place and decorated. As we stood back and looked, I have to say we were all enormously pleased with the results! God had indeed provided in every way.
The next day was the opening day. It began with a fabulous worship service that included Michael W. Smith, David Phelps, and several other top vocalists. We were awed to say the least! Allistair Begg gave the message and although he was a new name to us I don’t think we will ever forget him or his message. There was such power in every word and we left feeling that indeed God had met us there and had blessed us beyond anything we could have imagined.
But it was only the beginning. During the next two days we realized that God was pouring out blessing upon blessing on us. Our booth had more traffic than almost any other. The response was so positive and we made many wonderful contacts. Then as if that was not enough a couple of our dear girlfriends, Genie Brady and Jan Butler from Roswell, showed up unexpectedly to surprise us! To make that visit even more enjoyable it began to snow so they could not go home until the next day. Their presence was like strong arms under us and we knew for sure that they did not just COME…they had been SENT!
To top it all off, it was announced that President George Bush would be making an appearance to address those at the conference. Simply put, seven ladies went from basking in a place outside their comfort zone to experiencing the love, provision and comfort of their God.
Psalm 119:76
Let, I pray, Your merciful kindness be for my comfort,
According to your word to Your servant.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment