God's Love Is Transforming

The Lord led me to speak His message to a group of college women over Valentine's Day weekend. The theme was, "I love you," - God; now, knowing this love, you should be transformed! In otherwords, for those who are loved by God, His love should transform them.

So, I commited to speak about 2 weeks prior to the retreat. I usually work enough ahead of time on a message or speach so that I have plenty of time to outline, research, read, meditate, pray, write it out, and practice it outloud a few times. In otherwords, if I've got a public speaking engagement, I like to be prepared! Well... day after day went by and I had nothing! Slowly I began to hear God whisper, "Wait on Me. I will give you the words to speak. Wait." So, I waited, I mean, I really had no choice. Eventually God started to reveal parts of His message to me. My mind began to form bits and pieces of an outline for the two messages I'd be delivering.

Just a few short days before the retreat God gave me a very clear part of the message, basically the part that would form the rest of what He wanted me to say. It was... "If my love is so transforming, why don't you live a transformed life?" So, I had the problem with which to develop the messages around. I remember telling Jamie, rather frantically, "Okay, God has clearly given me the problem, but He has yet to give me the answer! What if He doesn't give me the answer? I'll have no hope to give the women. I'll have no conclusion to the message. AHHHH!" :) Well, I should have been more trusting.

Just one day before the retreat, on a Thursday night, after the kids had gone to bed, I got my first opportunity to sit down at the computer to write out all the thoughts and words from the Lord he'd been putting in my mind, and placing on my heart, over the past two weeks. What occured was just short of miraculous. Words poured out and I typed and typed and typed. I was up until 1am, or was it 3?? I really can't remember now! And, the best part was, during all the typing, God totally revealed to me the answer to the problem. It was such a lightbulb moment for my spiritual life and I'll never forget it.

I left for the retreat on Friday afternoon. I'd never left both my kiddos, and my husband, for a weekend before. I was excited and nervous! God had given me the beginning and end to the message, but there were still two HUGE holes in the middle. I definitely had knowledge over the topics and could have written something down so that it could just be complete, but I kept hearing, "Wait, wait on me to deliver to you the words..." So, I kept waiting.

Friday night was great. Saturday rolled around. I spoke at 11am and again that evening at 7pm. Seriously, God didn't fill in the gaps until Saturday! It was nervewracking, but I know it was His Spirit guiding me to wait on Him and it felt so great to obey and See Him deliver, true to His promise.

I'd like to take the next week or so and share parts of the messages He spoke through me that weekend. These posts are not simple to write and they are time consuming, so I can't promise I'll get them all written over the next couple of days. But! I will be working on them over the next week or so as I have time and as God leads me to. I'll probably post pictures of my kiddos and some Soph-isms in between. So, stay tuned for the next post where I plan to share with you this...

How you can know God's love, even if you can't feel God's love.

Here's a pic to tide you over! :) We were dreaming of spring and dressing Riley up in his cute swimsuits and accessories. :)