July 2018

prior, I had told someone, “I’d
like to be speaking in a couple
of years.” I didn’t have a clue
where to begin. I certainly never
dreamed I could create my
own conference. That night, Kim
stood in my driveway describing
the conference-building process
and awakening my dream.
I was jumping up and down on
the inside, but I remained calm.
I didn’t want to make a decision
based solely on my desires. That
gets messy.
First thing in the morning, I
reached out to my prayer partners.
Two of them called immediately
to talk and pray. I took
the day off and drove toward my
usual hiking spot. Walking in the
wild helps me connect with God,
because I can see the way He
designs things.
His principles are different from
ours. We strive for one ideal look
or moment, but nature displays
beauty and impact during every
stage of life.
On the way to Mary Oxley Nature
Center, the word “Cultivate”
rose up in my mind. When you’re
trying to hear God, it’s important
to respond to unusual prompts.
Test them out. I prayed about
that word and turned the car toward
Woodward Park, a manicured
garden in the center of
town.
As I walked through the rose garden,
past the koi pond and into
the vegetable garden, ideas for
the conference theme and presentation
filled my mind. Soon, I
had an outline of exactly what I
would say, and how this conference
could help those who attended.
As I turned back toward
the rose garden, I looked down
at the steps. Written in chalk
were the words, “I will love you
every step of the way.” I took
a picture and had it printed on
a laptop case, so I can see my
Heavenly Daddy’s love note every
time I write.
The Rose in Bloom conference
was small but wonderful. Instead
of devoting my next three
years of free time to schoolwork,
I wrote a devotional book and
journal, began a daily video series
and launched a course to
help others write devotionals.
God dreams bigger than we do.
Did I miss out on a career boost?
Nope. My boss gives me opportunities
to learn instructional design
on the job.
Isaiah 50:10b NIV Let the one
who walks in the dark, who has
no light, trust in the name of the
Lord and rely on their God.
Have I ever misunderstood
God? Certainly. I’ve also messed
things up by moving too fast, taking
the wheel instead of letting
Him drive. I’ve missed opportunities
when I’ve heard Him and
failed to follow through. I trust
Him to work everything out (Romans
8:28) and accomplish His
purpose in me (Philippians 2:13),
because I’m still learning, and I
know He loves me. Mistakes can
hurt though, so I prefer to check
my understanding and obey.
Think about it:
When you feel inspired, do you
ask wise Christians to pray for
you? It’s smart to pray with faithfilled
Christians whose lives display
God’s power.
Why doesn’t God speak clearly?
If our Omnipotent Father wants
to speak to us, why doesn’t He
speak more clearly? A simple,
“Hey Kristi, let me tell you what
the stock market’s going to do
next week,” would do. First, God
wouldn’t be caught doing Insider
Trading. Second, think about
this: 1,971 years after the date
we call Christ’s birthday, scientists
discovered things called
Place Cells; tiny cells in the
brain which mark your location.
44 years later we discovered
grid cells, head direction cells,
and a range of others which get
you from the couch to the kitchen.
If your head is spinning, then
you can believe a clever Engineer
designed this stuff. We take
forever to figure out one thing
God made. Even though we feel
grown up, we are toddlers learning
to understand an adult.
It’s humbling and a bit uncomfortable
to look at ourselves in
that light but give it a second. We
aren’t stupid or incompetent. We
are just learning the language,
stepping into new concepts God
fully grasps. We’re bound to
misunderstand Him sometimes.
It doesn’t mean He’s not talking,
and it doesn’t mean we are better
off on our own, living out our
days as toddlers.
Where do I start?
First, listen.
Isaiah 30 NIV puts it this way:
“15In repentance and rest is your
salvation, in quietness and trust
is your strength… 21 Whether
you turn to the right or to the
80 www.faithfilledfamily.com July 2018