Why I'm Hosting an IF:Local
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I sat in the darkened theater surrounded by 2,498 strangers.
I knew only one person in the room—my friend, Rebecca, with whom I had traveled
to Austin, TX.
I fidgeted in my seat, self-conscious and nervous as I
always am in a large group of women (I have issues), waiting for the event to
begin. Lights dimmed. Sparse stage. Heightened sense of anticipation.
The music began and 2,500 women rose to their feet in
worship.
And suddenly I was among friends.
Twenty-five hundred friends all asking the same question: “If God is real, then what?”
In other words, what kind of difference can we make in our
world if we truly believed that God is real, that He is FOR us, and that He has
good work for us to do for Him?
Important questions in this day and age. Questions of life
and death, really.
Over the past year I have thought often of the words I wrote
down in my notebook last February.
“We are at war and the prize is faith, and we let Satan have it all.
the. time.”
“The story is not about us. It is about a God who can do anything.”
“In every transition in life, Satan will bring a spirit of fear.”
“You cannot hold on to the past and take hold of the future. It’s time
to move on.”
“Jesus is very precious about his church.”
“God has put purpose and potential within you, but it is all for His kingdom. You have to lay
down your life.”
The IF:Gathering changed me. It challenged me. It caused me
to look at things in my life in a new way and to be renewed in my calling to
pursue Christ and the work He has for me.
When the weekend was over, Rebecca and I looked at each
other and said, “We need to bring this home.” We returned to our little tree-lined
neighborhood excited about IF and wanted to share that excitement with women
right here in our own community.
Over the past several months I have prayed about what God
would have me do with all of this. I’ve had conversations with my husband, with
friends, with pastors. And I’ve prayed some more.
In the end, I’ve felt led to bring an IF:Local gathering
here, to Wheaton. I’m taking small steps of faith and obedience in this every
day. I have no idea how God is going to pull this off—it feels kind of big—but
I know without a doubt that He will show up in a big way and that women who
come to the event will leave changed.
A small group of amazing women who share this vision have
come alongside me and we’re making strides and decisions and we’re dreaming big
dreams for our community.
So if you’re in Wheaton, IL on February 5 and 6, 2016, you are
more than welcome to join us. We’ll make sure we have plenty of room.
And if you’re in the area and interested in being involved,
please let me know. (You can find my email address on my “About” page or you
can just leave me a comment below.) Even better, if you attend an area church and want to help
spread the word—everyone’s invited!—please let me know that as well.
God has big plans for us, friends. I know this. He wants to
be involved in our lives. He wants us to be brave. He wants us to live to the
glory of His name.
Won’t you join me?
You can find out more about the IF:Gathering here.
Registration for both the Austin and Local gatherings opens next week, so get
ready!
