Inspire launched last Friday night and tonight is the first time in a week that I have time to sit and write about it.
As the worship team got there and set up people started pouring in and I seemed to have an endless amount of last minute details to get together for everything to run smoothly. After all the running around and preparation, my girlfriend Erin began the worship and I immediately could feel my shoulders drop and a peace came over me....worshiping God is always my favorite place to be.
I stood up front after worship and was getting ready to speak (which, turns out, I really like speaking, who knew? Well, my husband may have had a clue that I like to speak but I never knew :) Anyways, as I looked over this big conference room filled with about 140 women, I was brought to tears at the thought that God spoke this to my heart a couple years ago and there I was standing at the front with a group of ladies worshiping God. I was humbled that He was going to work through me in this next year in lives all around this Detroit area. I was brought to tears because, as I shared that night, it was only a few years ago when I was overcome with doubt and complete brokenness and there I was....He carried me through that whole mess and set me in this place for this time despite my what if's.
I don't know if you were there or were not (I will be posting the message on youtube this week) but I thank God for this opportunity in my life and consider it such a privilege to do this! I look forward to all that God will do through this ministry this year and beyond. My heart is so full and filled with joy I cannot even express.
About 6 months ago my sister and I were talking about something silly and were just laughing...hard...really hard about it. I cannot, for the life of me, remember what it was we were talking about because we talk constantly but I do remember thinking "this is the first time since my dad had died that my sister and I had really laughed this hard together" We had always laughed before he got sick...my whole family is unbelievably funny and laughter has always been a part of my life but I realized 6 months ago when Sara and I were laughing that God had brought me finally through the worst of it and I was healing and getting to the other side. It was freeing...
There is a song by Jesus Culture called Your Love Never Fails and my favorite line in this song is
"The chasm is far too wide
I never thought I'd reach the other side
But Your love never fails..."
I've been singing this song for a couple of years now believing this line. As I've learned how to laugh again and as God has given me the privilege of starting Inspire, I have realized that His love never had failed and there I was standing in front of these ladies and I never thought I'd reach the other side...but I did...His love never failed and now I am so thankful for the opportunity to share this hope with the ladies of Inspire and all the ministries we will be serving this year and beyond.
God's love never fails and He carries us, walks with us and He infuses us with hope, peace and joy until we can laugh...really laugh hard again or maybe for the first time in our lives. He knows the chasm isn't too wide and that He will use all that we go through to comfort someone else who thinks they won't be able to make it.
You can make it. God will walk you through it to the other side. I know that now, and I am so excited to see how God pours out my life and all of yours to speak hope into those hurting around us and gives us all the opportunity to share that God's love never fails despite any and all of our chasms, what if's and brokenness.
Can't wait to see how God Inspire's each one of our own hearts to be used for His glory!
