Answering the Call of God
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I was appointed to navigate us across Toronto since I was from "around here" (AKA Canada). Thankfully, we did eventually arrive at the restaurant after much prayer and the GPS recalculating. We headed to the reserved area in the back where the two teams were meeting to eat. I rounded the corner and stopped dead in my tracks. Beth Moore was standing six feet away casually chatting it up with her team members.
I reminded myself to think like a cucumber and be cool. I appeared to be the only one in the room fighting the urge to act like a crazy person. I sat down and channelled my crazy into a text to my friend who was with me in Vancouver in 2008 (whose goal in life is to sing backup for Travis Cottrell one day). I typed, Oh my goodness… I am at dinner with Beth and Travis!!!!!!!
Her immediate response (which I fully anticipated) was, I'M DYING! I’M DYING! Feel free to introduce me! I know they're real people but seriously! This is an 8 year old miracle.
Then I remembered that I never play it cool nor I’ve never been cool. Crazy is so much more me. So I got up and casually walked over
“Are you going to keep writing?”
I was unprepared for this question at my dad’s funeral. I had begun blogging during his journey with ALS simply to keep people updated on his progress so my mom wouldn’t have to over the phone. The purpose was clear— to tell my dad’s story and how God was continually showing Himself faithful.
When my dad died (August 17, 2009), I figured my blog would too.
When I heard my dad’s voice on the other side of the phone, I knew something was terribly wrong. A fatal disease I knew nothing about was about to change everything. The world where my dad was invincible shattered with three simple letters — ALS.
It had been nine short weeks since God had held out His hand and asked me for my time.
My small group was in the middle of a Bible study called Living Beyond Yourself. God had prepared my heart with His Word using 5 straight days of personal study on His faithfulness. Under “How does God want you to respond to what He showed you today?” I wrote: “Faith is necessary to follow God and it must be based on the faithfulness of His character and who He is, not what He does.”
From a DVD in my living room the day after that fateful phone call, Beth Moore taught us this:
With one hand on my shoulder and the other wagging a perfectly french manicured finger inches from my face, she boldly declared, "God told me He is going to tell you something you are going to KNOW and you are NEVER going to forget."
I was not one to make confident claims about hearing from God outside of general revelation of Scripture. But I was always intrigued when people would share about how God had spoken specifically to them. And, I was confused about what He sounded like and how on earth they were so sure it was Him.
The sidelines felt safer than stepping into my own lane and starting to run. I had never felt special enough for special revelation.
Nevertheless, I was excited. If God was going to speak, I certainly didn’t want to miss it.
How did we get here?
My mom and I were on the plane to Abbotsford both grateful for another opportunity to serve God by serving His people. We were also both not entirely sure how to answer that question. We pondered and then my mom went first.
She told me when she was a new believer in the 80’s, the church she was part of was hosting Vacation Bible School. Someone asked if she would lead a Bible study for the moms who were dropping their kids off. She said yes. It was the first of many yeses, followed by many more over many years.
Many yeses to God over many years eventually equals a surrendered life.