This past weekend I spent 14 hours in airports. That’s about 12 more hours than I spent sleeping. Someone cut a couple of fiber-optic cables and the Dallas area airports were without radar and communication signals, for a long period of time. I don’t know what a fiber optic cable would even be, but I know that it was a very sad eventuality for thousands when one was clipped.
Somehow, unbelievably, my little 1/100,000th of the problem scenarios was remedied and I walked in there, at the last minute, and spoke for the sweet ladies of the Howe church in Howe, Texas. I was sleepy, but I was really glad to be with those sisters, after fully believing, at several different points that my presence would not be happening. After all, when, after many hours of hearing delay after delay, and cancellation after cancellation, you finally get almost to your destination and you hear a pilot say, “I have bad news and good news….The good news is, we picked up a lot of fuel in Huntsville…”, you kind of know what the bad news is going to be.
I want to thank the sisters at Howe for being patient and persistent as we tried to figure a way to make the plan work. (I wish I’d taken some pictures of the women of Howe!…This is how you roll when you are this sleepy!) They were a tenacious group of women. I also know that, if I had not been there, one of those ladies would have stepped up there and done a better job than I could even approach. But more thank all this, I see His MORE in all the workings of the weekend. Here are just ten examples.
- The first six-hour delay, that ended up in total cancellation, brought good news to me, as I waited. Someone dear to me responded that she’d been unexpectedly granted, by God, what she’s been praying for, and that she had decided to do our Digging Deep study with us. She needs this. I praise Him!
- Someone sitting beside me on the very last flight put my phone number in her phone for contacting about the church. She has a five-year-old who needs to be in a Bible class, and she said she would definitely be checking out the West Huntsville church. She lives just a few minutes/miles from our building.
- I had to get my daughter to come and get me from the airport on Friday night, so I could try to sleep a couple of hours before getting up again to try for the Saturday red-eye flight. I asked her to let me run in a fast food place on the way home, because I was starving. I was sad that my husband was not available to shuttle me. In a coincidence I could not have dreamed up, a man opened the door for me as I was exiting the McDonald’s. It WAS my husband. He did not know I was there when he stopped. I surely did not expect him to be there. It was a fun moment.
- Just as I was about to abandon all hope, for the third or fourth time, of making it to the ladies day, I was pretty tired, discouraged and grumpy. Then I had a conversation with a lady beside me who was trying to get to her niece’s funeral. Her niece was young; a victim of cancer. Sometimes the attitude adjustment reminders are unavoidable and potent.
- The lady who picked me up at the airport in Dallas was wonderfully encouraging. She had been at the ready to drive from Dallas to Shreveport or Oklahoma City to pick me up—just wherever I could make it. I’m humbled at the tenacity and hospitality of so many on this trip. This particular sister was very good at making me feel like she actually enjoyed traveling a long distance to spend time with me on Dallas freeways.
- A sweet sister took me into a private part of the building when I arrived, where she showed me my personal prayer quarters. I loved having that little space in which to collect my thoughts. After arriving at the building, I had just a short moment before speaking. This sister took my
hands and prayed with me. That was the exact thing I needed in that moment. God is so very good! - While there, I met some people from my past—people I love very much—and I met a new sister, just born-again in baptism a few days ago. She wanted the Digging Deep book and she’s already texted me her address since I have been home. This is the best!
- I also met victims—victims of rape, of adult children who have left their moorings, and of the devil working in their own personal lives. I was reminded, once again, of the power of the devil in our lives and of the Victor over His death and darkness.
- I spoke with a lady who is trying hard to get a congregation back into full hospitality/fellowship mode following the exhausting and divisive national experience of Covid. She’s planning game nights and meals for elderly and outings and devotionals; and she and her husband are doing all of this without much encouragement from the rest of the family there. Those who are still recovering, in spiritual ways, from Covid are one more testimony to the power of darkness. It was a blessing to me to see her perseverance in making this recovery, for this church, her personal goal and business.
- I got up on Sunday morning and sang “No other name but the name of Jesus,” with people who sang it with fervor and who are living their lives to the glory of that holy name.
I’m pretty sure I heard 30-plus speeches this weekend about Joseph and how his brothers meant the pit, the slavery and the bloody coat, for evil, but God meant it all for good. I heard a lot about Job and even more about the intended and massive eternal good that God meant through the abuse that happened at the cross. 
the things that occur in my life. Events, occurrences, schedules and mishaps are not all about me; but of course they ARE all about Him IN me and in you and in every faithful child. How can He take every single one of His called children this weekend across multiple convention sites and make the paths of our lives converge into one good thing? It’s because we are called according to His purpose and we claim that promise from an infinitely resourceful God. As one of my grandchildren said in her speech, “Like I said, I can’t even imagine it. But it’s no wonder I can’t even imagine it. God said He can do exceedingly, abundantly more than I can even ask or imagine.”
It strikes me on reflection that we are blessed in His family with so many intersections at a big event like Lads to Leaders. This (Nashville convention, this year) was the biggest convention in the history of Lads and it was full of wonderful cross-over reunions for most of us.
Keepers award and a couple of them achieved the Good Samaritan Award. 
Lads is an intersection of the sixties-something me and the six-year-old me. People I’ve known from the Adamsville church for all my life walked up and said “I’m ____________.” Then there were big embraces and fond memories just came pouring back. I’m so thankful for a childhood among His faithful people.
Lads is an intersection of Christian camps. Teen girls, over and over, shouted “Mrs. Cindy!” We took pictures and we said lots of “Are you coming this summer?” And there were lots of “OHHH yes! I can’t wait.”s. I’m thankful for youth events that bind them (and us) together.
can imagine!
We are mostly crossing paths on the weekends. But this time, this great church invited him to come, since I was there anyway, for a ladies’ day. He did a men’s day and a preacher’s meeting and preached all day on Sunday. He, as usual, worked harder than I did. It was a bonus blessing to have him there!
We got to stay in the renowned Whinery B and B and it lives up to every ounce of renown. We love these people and what is not to love?! We’ve been twice around the world with them and we’d love to get to do it again one day!
got to be in her house and do a ladies day in her congregation in Sabetha, Kansas. I was beyond excited to see her standing there beside me with all of her little brood. What a great blessing! I love her. The youngest two are her own and how blessed are all these girls! They listened and learned and I hope I see them one day leading the women in their congregations. I’m going to start praying for that!
She just keeps pushing them, putting in the effort to keep them going, switching hands every now and then, breathing deep and pushing them again. This morning Hannah woke up with an achy throat and body and she asked herself if she could really adult today. Then she put in a day of school, took them to piano and karate and gave the meds to the one who is getting past strep. She talked with their doctor and she postponed her own doctor appointment to keep their “swing” going. I asked her last night about doing something fun with a friend. She said “What would that even look like right now?’ She spoke twice last weekend at a ladies day and is gearing up to go speak four times at a retreat where we both will speak (and Colleyanna will, too.) Somehow she got one ready for a 59/60 on the Bible bowl test and she has three who are, altogether, doing 13 events at Lads to Leaders. Her house sometimes looks like a tornado has hit (like mine) and, on most weeks, a big colony of ants could probably live a long time in her van. She had to go around the outside of her house for one of the kids and make sure every window was locked last night before bed. Tonight she is vigilant with one who is afraid of the storms outside. If they only knew how big are the storms from which she daily protects them. (All good parents do this!) She travels four-plus hours (in a day) every other week to get the kids to an important appointment. She stays an extra 45 minutes or an hour after worship services so her kids can play foursquare and Frozen with the children of other faithful people. She has struggled through some hard things to keep them in the best academic and social place. Most of all, she is doggedly determined to give them the best spiritual place. She holds them up before God every day and night and she holds it together when I think I would buckle under the weight. She is thankful when I might be bitter; hopeful when I might surrender. I do not tell her enough, so 
children all over the kingdom, and speaking to ladies groups on a regular basis. (As an aside, we are equally amazed at the artistic talent that she has given the kids, because we KNOW it did not come through any Colley genes.) 
Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen (Ephesians 3:20,21).
It’s a new year. I’ve decided to do some things that might be helpful for me, personally. I’m going to drink some protein every morning. I’m implementing some new prayer habits and I’m starting the Digging Deep writing process much earlier this year. But more than those resolutions, I’m going to remember that, while there is so much that I cannot control—sickness, technology, sin in the lives of others, to name a few—I serve a Father who is “hyper-able”. I can take all the little inconveniences and mishaps to Him at any given moment, and I can know that He is working with unlimited ability toward the end that He already sees with clarity! And he works in “our house.” I cannot focus on the end of the anxiety yet, because I cannot see the resolution. But I can focus on my “hyper” God and know that He is able to do more than I am asking or thinking for our house! Happy New Year! Your God is able!