Monday, March 16, 2009

Hey!!! I'm baaaaack! Well, at least physically - my mind is still reeling from an amazing weekend. Once again, the Hearts at Home conference was unbelievable! The impact that this conference has on women makes me want to load up every woman I know and bring her with me! Like I told you before, this was the first time I have volunteered during the conference instead of attending it and I have to say that I learned just as much if not more from volunteering! God is so good! He orchestrated every detail to humble me and allow me to realize the true agony that some of my fellow sisters in Christ are enduring. I was a personal assistant to a speaker named Victoria Johnson. God brought this sweet, loving and compassionate woman into my life to teach me many lessons. I truly enjoyed every moment her and I spent together - what an inspiration to me! She spoke on 2 topics: raising children as a single parent and childhood sexual abuse. As her workshops filled with women and she began telling her story, I began to see the pain in the eyes of the attendees. She allowed time at the end of her message for questions and it was then that these women told of the gut wrenching pain they had and were experiencing. I had never seen so much pain. These were women who looked great - women who if I saw them on the street, I would assume had a perfect little life, but they have haunting pasts. This reminded me of how we must not judge by appearance. We all need the healing power of Jesus. We all have hurts. We all have pasts. We all need Jesus. My heart continues to break for these women. When I had the opportunity to speak with one woman, I hurt so badly for her, I wanted to help, I wanted to make things better for her but all I could do was listen, cry with her and hug her with all I had.

One more experience orchestrated by God has come and went but my heart will never be the same. Thanks be to God.

Lord, I thank You and praise You for orchestrating my life. I thank You for what you teach me and how you change my heart. I pray that as Your children, when we hurt, we turn to You and not to anything in this world. I need Your strength to do this. I pray for Your healing hand and comfort over each woman that Victoria ministers to and to all others who are hurting and need Your sweet peace. In Jesus Name I pray, Amen.

Have a great Monday!
Living fearlessly in Christ
Christie

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

girl.... i had chills reading this post. I really want to hear more about the conference... Dan and I talked about October and we are praying about it!

Anonymous said...

Christie,

I don't think it was a coincidence that you were Victoria's assistant last weekend. She needed an assistant who had the ability to love on and minister to those hurting women. You were exactly who God needed! Thank you for making yourself available to be used by God in a way you didn't even expect!