Answered Prayer

If you read last week’s post, you know that I have been praying for recovery from herniated disc issues and hoping this healing would occur in record time so that I would still be able to attend the New Wilmington Mission Conference being held on the Westminster College campus this week. While I am not completely out of the woods yet on the disc, I am going to be able to attend – Yeah God! And thank you everyone who prayed with me. 

If you had told me four years ago that I would be fervently praying to attend this conference, I am sure I would have laughed until I cried in utter disbelief. After all, I’m not a missionary and, to the best of my knowledge, I never will be. It all started three years ago when a friend who was introducing me to the game of golf suggested I go to the conference golf outing held every year. He wasn’t trying to convince me to attend the conference or become a missionary or anything like that – just play golf on a regulation golf course which I had never done before and was eager to experience. Never having been to Westminster College before, I drove up on Sunday to see where I was going and attended the evening meeting. The speaker caught my interest as he shared about what God was doing in the mission field – so much so that I drove up and back (two-hour round trip) every evening after work because I didn’t want to miss any more of the conference than I had to. (And by the way – the golf was fantastic!!!!)

Last year, I was ready – I registered for the whole week – staying on campus so I didn’t miss a thing and was so incredibly blessed by those who spoke and the new friends I made. The Holy Spirit was so very present in that place and I sensed that he was pointing my faith journey toward prayer ministry, with a focus on the grieving and on those in mission. I adopted a mission family for which I pray for and send money to if I can and I began reading about prayer ministry and volunteering with grieving families.

Of course, it seems like most of that was put on hold over the last six months as I’ve been dealing with my own personal issues and I’m at a point now where I am empty and need to soak in the grace and glory of God. I am counting the hours until I set my foot on campus again to see what new things God is doing in the world through missionaries and through those who send, support and pray for them.

What do you do and where do you go to soak in the grace and glory of God? If you’re empty and moving through life on autopilot – don’t wait any longer. Spend some quality you and God time right now, this week. And you will know the peace that surpasses all understanding!

About the pictures:
New Wilmington Mission Conference - Westminster College Campus (July 2011)