Seeking God's Direction

Dear God,

You know my heart and you know what You want to accomplish through me. Please help me get clarity on the next steps for our ministry. I want to do Your will, but I feel like we need to head in a new direction. I pray that You will show me what You want me to do through this ministry in the future. Amen.

This is the prayer I prayed before our first annual RSVP Women's Conference last Saturday. I had been feeling for a few months as though our ministry was becoming stagnant and not accomplishing much for God's kingdom. This is a common feeling among women in ministry actually, wondering whether the work we are doing is really making any difference and wishing that we could do more. By the day of the conference, seeing it all come together, I had butterflies in my stomach--the good kind, the ones where you are full of excitement and anticipation of something big and unexpected. I had hopes that someone would be impacted--I just had no idea that that someone would be me!

Cue, our second speaker of the day--Cheryl Meissner. I had overheard some side conversations in the morning from women who attended her first breakout session on how to study the Bible. There was a buzz going around! Then, she stepped up to the podium, in front of a group of expectant women, and she held us captive for forty-five minutes, even at one point asking if she has enough time and you could hear women say, "Don't stop." She spoke plainly and bluntly at times- calling out for us, the 'ekklēsia' she was teaching us about, to rise up and do what Christ had commanded for our purpose--to know the LORD and His ways. How? By studying our Bibles! We were mesmerized and a fire was ignited in the group!

After that we went to lunch and then to our second breakout session, so I immediately went to see what this buzz was all about. As we got started she began praying and she asked us to think about what it is that we are asking God to give to us--and I heard it deep in my spirit--direction. Then for the next forty five minutes Cheryl taught us about how to get right to work learning what God wanted us to know, by going to the original languages of Hebrew and Greek and shared a list of books and websites that helped her understand the scripture and what we need to know about God's Word. And within the first 15 minutes of her teaching, I felt God whisper--is this clear enough direction for you?? Tears began to well in my eyes and I couldn't stop them. I felt like God had heard my prayers and even though I had been asking Him for months, He had prepared for me to get my answer at the conference that I had spent so much time preparing--in order for others to get what they needed! I never imagined that I would be so impacted, but I am so grateful that I was.

By the end of the day when I got to speak with Cheryl alone, she said something that really

struck me because it was so profound and yet felt so perfectly true. I had shared with her that I felt so emotionally exhausted because I had cried so many tears that day (tears of joy) and she said, "Of course you do. You just birthed a baby! But now you need to train it up, so the hard work is just beginning." I would never have put the two together, but she knew that I had poured my heart and soul into the conference and especially into this ministry. I don't want recognition or accolades--I just want to make a difference in women's lives and draw them to the throne of grace! But what I learned that day from Cheryl will never be forgotten. She equipped me--and I believe--all of the women there to charge after the mysteries of God's Word with weapons of new knowledge and training, so that we can be warriors for God's Kingdom. I am grateful and forever indebted to Cheryl for accepting the invitation to speak and to teach at our conference. I believe she impacted all the women that attended and I know she helped set our ministry in a new, inspiring

direction.

Let the wise listen and add to their learning,

and let the discerning get guidance.

Proverbs 1:5