After checking in at the registration desk I sat down, folded my hands in my lap and waited quietly for the numbers on the clock to read 3:15 p.m. The moment I would give my first-ever book pitch to a publisher at the She Speaks 2016 Conference. The moment I’d have to talk about a project I’d been working on for the past three years in a span of 15 minutes. The moment I’d been looking forward to for nearly a year and a half.
Once settled in my chair I felt a wave of nerves begin to wash over me. I begged them to go away and leave me alone. But with each passing minute they grew a little stronger. Lord, I need you to step in here. I prayed. My only goal is to communicate this book and the passion you’ve put in my heart clearly. Please remind me I have nothing to fear.
Seconds later the elevator door opened and Lysa Terkeurst stepped out to check in with her daughter, who was managing the check-in table right beside me. (Let me stop right here and point out — for those of you who don’t know — that Lysa is not only the president of Proverbs 31 Ministries, the organization that puts the conference on, but she’s also a New York Times best-selling author and all-around amazing woman.)
“Hi, I’m Lysa,” she said as she turned and extend her hand to shake mine.
“Hi, I’m Lauren,” I smiled, and she wished me good luck.
As if meeting Lysa wasn’t enough to take my mind off my silly nerves, her friend Colette walked over to say hello too.
“So what’s your book about?” Colette asked.
I shared a condensed version of my pitch with her and her eyes lit up. We’d only met just minutes ago but in that moment Colette asked if she could pray over me and the appointment. I don’t remember her exact words, but in my heart of hearts I know this:
God used Colette’s prayer as a blanket of peace to cover me in my moment of need.
And you want to know something, sisters? I nailed my pitch. Without a single touch of anxiety. Not because I’m a great pitch giver, but because God showed up. And when God shows up, the impossible becomes possible.
[Tweet “When God shows up, the impossible becomes possible.”]
I’d prayed for God to help get me through my first appointment, and He immediately answered my prayer! There are no words to describe the gratitude, awe and wonder I felt over the goodness of our Father in that moment. It was as if the words of Deuteronomy 31:8 had come to life right before my very eyes:
“Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the LORD will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you; he will neither fail you nor abandon you.” {NLT}
As I sit here today trying to process everything that happened during the She Speaks Conference, all I can say is that looking back I can see that God truly did go before me in every situation and conversation I encountered. In every conference room, in every hallway, in every bad night’s sleep, his presence was undeniable and all-consuming. I think part of the reason for this was because thousands of people were praying for the conference leading up to the actual date. But you know what I think the real reason for all of it was?
I was tuned in to the presence of God.
[Tweet “Being tuned in to the presence of God allows us to experience the Holy Spirit at work.”]
Every morning of the conference I woke up and immediately prayed something along the lines of: Holy Spirit come and speak to me. Whatever it is you have for me, I want to hear and experience it. I want to see you move today. Come and have your way. Be alive in me and in this place.
I have to confess: Prior to the conference, I did not pray this prayer in my day-to-day life. Rather than connecting with God right away in the morning, “pre She Speaks Lauren” usually only thought about her to-do list and checked social media. I still encountered God throughout the week but I wasn’t in tune to His presence, per say.
She Speaks reinforced many things I already knew to be true, but one of the most important things it reinforced is the fact that God is alive and on the move — but we’ll never fully grasp the power and extent of His hand if we’re not tuned in to and focused on Him.
About a year ago, I wrote a blog post called “Am I Expecting God to Show Up?” In that post, I wrote, “I expect to meet God today and every day. I live in full expectation of God.” Here’s what God is whispering to me today, as a follow up to that post: Dearest daughter, you can know and believe that I am at work here on Earth, but knowing and believing are different than seeking me and actively participating in what I’m doing. Don’t sit on the sidelines. Don’t be consumed with and focused on your to-do list. Be consumed with and focused on me.
You will find Me when you search for Me with all your heart. {Jeremiah 29:13 NASB}
God is on the move today in a mighty way. But while it’s good to know and expect this — it means nothing if we don’t try to seek and find this.
[Tweet “We find God when we seek him with all of our heart.”]
It’s a small shift in our way of thinking but I’m telling you, as I just experienced in my own life, it changes everything. When we keep our internal radio station tuned in to Him and ask Him to reveal Himself to us, we can experience His presence in a deeper and more powerful way. And living in God’s presence? Well, there’s no place I’d rather be.
In the to-dos of daily life, where’s your focus? How can you take steps to be more in tune with God’s presence?
Join the She Speaks blog hop!
Click here to enter your link and view this Linky Tools list…