Friday, June 27, 2008
Expect the Unexpected
A few years ago, I received a beautiful basket of daisies one day after my birthday. The card didn't say "Happy Birthday," but naturally I thought they were a birthday gift. When I read the card it said--It is a pleasure standing shoulder to shoulder with you in ministry.
I was flattered...I was honored...I was thrilled...I was caught off guard! The card wasn't signed!
Who sent me these flowers? I immediately called the florist to find out who sent them. They gave the excuse that "because they were an internet order they didn't have a name to give me."
Is that true? Can they really deliver flowers and not let me know where they came from or who sent them?
Logically, I started thinking about who would send beautiful daisies with a card about us ministering together. "Yes! I know who did this!" I thought and quickly called one of my mentors. She was flattered that I would think of her, but she didn't send the flowers. I called another mentor. I knew it had to be one of these two wonderful women. Dead end. She wished she had sent them too, but no.
I continued asking my sweet friends at church. I emailed a few people in other parts of the country. It may sound strange, but when you are involved in women's ministry, you know lots of amazing friends who might send you flowers!
However, after so many "that's so sweet and I wish they were from me, but they are not," you eventually quit asking. I mean, really, it is embarrassing asking your friends if they sent you flowers for your birthday. After awhile you feel like you are dropping hints for next year's birthday...it is kind of weird.
So now, over two years later, I still have this wonderful card that reminds me of my unexpected blessing.
The tough part for me is that I've never been able to say thank you. They were a beautiful basket of daisies and I loved them for weeks. Every time I read the card, even now...years later, I am blessed by the giver. (And I pray for her, whoever she is)
Tonight at Deeper Still: The Event Priscilla began her message by making the simple, yet profound statement "expect the unexpected" referring to this weekend and walking through life with Jesus.
I'm not sure what the ladies expected tonight in Philips Arena, but like my basket of daisies, I'm sure they received an unexpected blessing. And the best part is, when they look back at their notes from the weekend (perhaps years from now) I know they will be blessed by the Giver.
We know Who has signed the card and is sending us a message of love and hope this weekend! We've been expecting Him!
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Comments (5)
mg said...
What a wonderful weekend! Our lives will never be the same! God is so good. God had been convicting me with three words for 2 weeks:
Truth
(The) Word
Prayer
He made them all come together in a way that just blew me away! He had been laying the ground work for powerful messages he was sending by three mighty warriors in His ministry!
Anonymous said...
This was such a strong word from God that Priscilla delivered, and she allowed God's presence to flow through her to the point of not only feeling the Holy Spirit in the room, but also feeling as though it was just you and God there alone. I don't know how else to explain it, other than to say it was "overwhelming"! I look forward to see what God will do on the other side of my trials. I must confess that this has been hard lately, and then I feel bad for feeling that way (the whole guilt thing for not being stronger in the wilderness) however, I am getting better at getting past that, as I know that I am just human—nothing without God. I am learning boundaries and that I can’t be the perfect example that I want to be, as behind that “want to be” has been really a sense of unhealthy perfection---trying to show my strong relationship with God, but ending up trying to be God for others. I am learning that it is okay to be human, learning that when I set boundaries that I am not being mean, I am just letting those I love lean on God and not me. It has been not only a hard lesson to learn, but it has involved letting go of my sense of responsibility for others. No matter what the world does, what my family does--I will follow Christ--but I can’t drag them along with me. I want to, but I am learning to leave that to God. I am writing you from a hotel room in Atlanta. I attended the Deeper Still Conference with family, and I got such a great word from God this weekend to just surrender…lay it all down (which I know how to do, it is just that I keep “picking it all back up again”). Some journeys with God you have to go alone, and that is kind of where I am today.
Gabby said...
I was so blessed to be at Deeper Still this weekend. I did not want the weekend to end. I loved every moment. God did an awesome work in my life. Thank you Travis for bringing your entire team with you. You all are incredible!!!!! Priscilla, I so enjoyed you Friday night. This was the first time I've heard you speak and WOW....Praise the Lord! Kay...another WOW and Thank You for speaking the Truth. I needed to hear it badly. You shocked us all with your age. You look great! And Beth your energy is huge. I told one of my friends that I only want a little bit of your energy that you had this past weekend. Thank you for your passion for our Heavenly Father. I loved the panel / question session. That was so much fun to hear you ladies on "beauty", "shopping", and "marriage". Thank you Lifeway for putting this event together, and PLEASE do it again next year. I've already looked to see if I can sign up. Thank you Jesus for what you did through "all" your servants this weekend. I loved falling in love with my Creator in a Deeper Still way.
Sandra H said...
thank you priscilla, beth and kay for a great conference this past weekend!..the messages were great..worship was amazing!...but i must say that I was blown away by the wisdom, and maturity of Kay, ..I thank God for the wonderful vessel he chose in her, and for beth and priscilla too,, for his word to speak through them was such a blessing ..my heart was touched by the Word !!! My God, My Savior!!
Tammy Boquet said...
Oh!! How amazing God truly is!! I attended DEEPERStill with other ladies from our church, many of them I previously attended Bible Study with. Without going into more details than necessay, I will say that there is no end to the things that God can do in our lives if we quit hanging on and lay it at his feet. I know this through my own experiences and yet still have such a struggle in that area. You see, I have been looking forward to coming since I found out that our church was going to participat. However, Friday only a few hours before we were going to leave. Those old thoughts, insecurities, amoung other things, as well as being overwhelmed with it all began to trick me into believing that I couldn't or shouldn't go. Icalled a very close friend to ask her if she knew of anyone that wanted to go and did not have a ticket. She said No, and then proceeded to say that I needed to be there and helped to talk me out of the lonely place that I was putting myself in. Then, we got there and WOW! God spoke to me all weekend long. First Priscilla's message confirmed where I am and where God is going to bring me. Then when Kay began, I felt that I had already recieved my blessing and that I was done. WRONG - I could have never been so far from the truth (expect the unexpected). About a month ago I started thinking that I may be hearing God giving me a calling. I have continuously argued with myself about that and today I felt like God is begining to show me that call he has for me on my life. If it is what I am thinking it is - I am to scared for words, and not to mention that it is nothing that I would have ever imagined that I would ever be doing. I am going to continue to seek God's face in this and will wait patiently on his conformation. Then later today Beth spoke to me in a different area of my life, but one that needed to be touched on. I have been crying for 2 days. I am overflowing with his love. I probably will not sleep tonight, and truely want to shout out from the roof tops what he is doing for me. I feel so blessed and have such a testimony that contiues to grow evey day. Thank you ladies for helping me see God on such a DEEPER level. What an awesome God!!
Posted by Tammy Boquet | Jun 27, 2008 at 11:17 PM