"Remember, you are each coming because you heard the whisper of God and answered. This is YOUR call. You've enlisted and now you are part of Gideon's army of 300. I hope you come with an open mind, open heart so that your EYES will be opened while you are with us." - Cindy Sproles
These words from Cindy had me doing a double take this morning. As I read and re-read, my heart rejoiced. Dare I believe that this be true? With confidence, I now can say, "YES!" It was about a month ago that my dear friend approached me and asked if I wanted to attend the conference. Hesitantly, I told him I did. To my surprise, he told me my way would be covered. I was shocked. Speechless actually. NOTHING was standing in the way for the Lord to further equip me to write.
Days passed, and I began to question if traveling to The Cove was the right thing to do. Once I realized my way was paid, I quickly drafted my husband to be my companion. Both of us had been writing bits and pieces of lessons learned in our journey with the Lord for years now. We had never been published, but the love to express our heart through the written word was a connecting bond. However, as time drew closer excuses began to pile up.
What about our children and dogs? We'd be missing our daughter's basketball tournament and our new puppy was only three months old. Was it right to leave them? Yes, my way was covered, but paying for my husband seemed far too extravagant for us to cover with finances so tight. How could we possibly afford this right now?
Then the family concerns turned to feelings of inadequacy. Who am I, Lord? Why would anybody want to read what I've written? Aren't there tons of other people out there who can write better than me. Amidst all the thoughts and excuses, a gentle nudge within my heart kept encouraging me to simply pay the deposit. So with a bit of fear and trepidation, I did.
Reading Cindy's reminder that I have been called puts a smile on my face. Robert Benson, author of In Constant Prayer, writes, "To be a writer is to bear witness to what you've seen and heard." I'll never forget the first time I read those words for in that moment I could hear the Lord saying to me as He did to the disciples, "You shall be My witnesses in Jerusalem and all Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the earth" (Acts 1:8). We have all been called to bear witness. Now is the time to sharpen the ax.
With great joy, I look forward to meeting my fellow soldiers and getting the equipping I need to be His witness.
To God be the glory.
