Tonight was IPOC's event: "Unmasked: A mother/daughter masquerade."
The funny thing was, I went into the planning, thinking, even honestly believing that everyone that came to this event would be impacted. I didn't even dream that would include me.
But God is amazing like that.
He takes the experiences, the opportunities that we are to go through, and uses them in our lives.
I believe that Cass, who headed up the whole thing, would say the same.
This event has been a dream for over a year. Andrea Rasmussen had it in her heart to put this together early last fall. She met multiple times with several individuals to get it in the works, and had even set a date for early August of this year. But as that day got closer, several things factored in that made us have to postpone it.
In stepped Cass, willing & full of heart, who boldly began to flesh out what this dream would look like as reality. She met with Shawn & Sarah Withy-Allen, worked out the budget, and coordinated performers. Yet, even with all of her administrative giftings, it was still clear in all of this that it was ultimately God pulling it all together.
The dance that God laid on Cass' heart became a vision that was imparted to Andele & Ashley.
The monologue that Cass' found became a burning passion within Brandie's heart.
The decor became a reality; it turned out beautifully with the help of many willing hands (thank you everyone who helped!!).
The speakers were kind enough to agree to come and share their wisdom with us- Thank you Mrs. Gloria Cotten & Mrs. Cheryl Rasmussen for all of your time in preparation & in teaching.
If there is one thing that this night has caused me to realize, it is that God is the dream giver and the dream fulfiller. He puts these incredible dreams in our hearts, and if they are in line with His will, He will ultimately bring them to pass.
All creativity is ultimately from God- and this night was a convergence of God's creative heart on so many levels- the magnitude of it all simply takes my breath away.
So back to the whole story of how I was impacted personally...
In the past year, the Lord has brought me through so much healing. It has been a process of growing, being stretched, and trusting completely in His goodness. Recently, I've been feeling like I am in such a place of vulnerability. It's as if all is stripped away. Everything that has been a barrier in the past between myself and my King, it has slowly been turned into rubble, and now it's being cleared away.
Tonight, I honestly did believe that I would come away with some nugget of truth.
Yet, I came away with so much more. I came away with the reality of the overwhelming love of my Savior. The sense of unshakeable protection within His arms of love. The security of realizing that He is always with me. And with the earth-shaking truth that no matter how sinful I am, God's righteousness covers my my iniquity. Nothing that I do can ever change that.
I've tried to hide from Him. I've tried to hide from myself. Yet as I stood in the embrace of a dear friend, I realized that I didn't need to hide.
Why do we hide?
It's the same reason that Adam & Eve hid in the garden: we are ashamed.
Ashamed of our sin. Ashamed of our vulnerability - our brokenness.
Why is it ok for people to be all crazy & happy, yet we shrink back if someone is honest in sharing their true feeling of pain or guilt?
It makes us uncomfortable.
Yet Jesus comes and covers us with His feathers, in the shadow of His wings. He whispers words of comfort, love, and adoration. He has set us apart as a people for Himself. He will not be satisfied until we are consumed with a passion for Him and His name. Let us be a people set apart for His name and His renown. Let us now grow weary in doing good- let us reach out to the hurting, the broken, the lost & lonely sinners.
Amazing Grace, How sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me/I once was lost but now I'm found- was blind but now I see.
I have been broken. I once was shattered. Yet the hand of the Lord has restored.
How can I do anything less than share this gift of life with others, who are lost and dying?
Reach out. The world doesn't need to hear a really good sermon.
They need to see love in action; be the light that shines so brightly it catches their eye.
Once they see the difference in your life, they will want 'it' too.
