My travel bag lay open on the bed, begging for me to fill it with clothes. I glanced around the room at the dresses haphazardly tossed aside. I sifted through a pile of them, pulling out a few of my favorites and carefully folded them into my bag. The hotel should have an iron so I could work out the wrinkles later.

My Bible lay nearby as a reminder to pack it too. God had amazingly prepared a way for me to attend this conference and I wanted to keep His Word nearby at all times. I wasn’t sure what to expect at the conference but I hoped I would be able to meet a few of my favorite authors who were scheduled to be the main speakers.

My thoughts drifted to my upcoming publisher appointments and whether or not they would like my pitch for the new book I am writing. I imagined my name across the front of my book cover and I wondered how many women would be impacted by my story. It seemed like only yesterday I thought I didn’t have a story but here God was leading me to share my story with others. I was certain this was God’s way of using me to let others hear my voice.

Never could I have been prepared for what awaited me at the conference. I had no idea there would be messages from speakers on anything other than writing and speaking. I had no idea there would be worship services where fat tears spilled down my cheeks as the Holy Spirit filled the room and spoke straight to my heart. I had no idea God had something else in mind for me besides a printed book with my name splashed across the cover.

No. God had so much more in store for me and the other 800 women attending She Speaks 2015. From the moment of the first message by Lysa Terkeurst, I was wrecked (in the best way!). God spoke straight to my heart as He reminded me of the miracle of the feeding of the 5,000 in Mark 6:30-52.

The disciples had been a part of this miracle but only hours later had forgotten the most important part of their assignment. While Jesus was on the mountain praying, they were in the midst of a storm in the Sea of Galilee with waves battering their boat. They had forgotten their two-fold assignment–first to BE WITH HIM, and second, to BE SENT by HIM. 

Do you see why this wrecked me? How quickly I had forgotten my assignment to first be WITH HIM before I can be sent BY HIM. How quickly I had forgotten this was ONLY ever about Jesus and if I wanted to be used by Him, I first need to be WITH Him.

This wasn’t my story I was writing; this was His story in my life. I tell my kids, “Whether you eat or drink, or whatsoever you do, do all to the glory of God.” 1 Corinthians 10:31.

I had gotten caught up in my own glory and completely forgotten that everything I do, I should do all to the glory of God. What a fool I was to think this was about me at all.

I don’t want to miss my assignment with God because I was misaligned with Him, forgetting to spend time in His Word FIRST. I don’t want to miss the most important part of His calling, to be WITH Him before I’m SENT by Him.

It’s so easy for us to become distracted from spending time in God’s Word because our husbands or our kids or ministry or our calling is begging for our attention. I don’t want to be distracted anymore. I only want to be focused on Him first. I want the most precious first moments of my day to be spent reading His Word, praying, and worshipping God.

God wrecked me last weekend and I pray He wrecks you too. You have also been called by God and your assignment is the same as mine–to be with Him before we are sent by Him.

If this is something you want too, send me a message or a text. Join our small group tomorrow morning as we reflect from this week’s teachings in John from the First 5 app. Let’s encourage one another to give those first precious moments to the One who matters most.

Takeaway (from Lysa’s She Speaks Launch message):

We must stay in alignment of our assignment.

Jesus calls us to follow Him, to be with Him that we may be sent out.

Until next time,

The Farm Wyfe