Dancing In The Rain

I told you that I would give you more details about the retreat that God is putting together called "Dancing In The Rain". We are close enough to having everything in place to get started that I felt like it is time to let you know more about it. This is something that God put on my heart at least a year ago, maybe longer. I just started to write down verses that I came across that talked about joy. It is amazing how often joy is mentioned in the Bible, yet we see so little of it lived out. I am not talking about happiness - that comes when everything in your life is going well. Then when things aren't going well, you may experience hopelessness, anger, depression... I knew that the joy in the Bible is not like that at all. I have seen it lived out in certain people's lives over the years. Probably even now, someone's name is popping into your mind. They are like a magnet. You want to spend time with them. You want to be like them. Even when they go through really tough times, even through tears you can see Jesus on their face. I will never forget seeing one of these precious few at the funeral of her husband. She had tears rolling down her face and yet she was still smiling and encouraging other people. It wasn't a fake, painted on smile. It was just the sweet, crazy peace of Jesus coming out. You know, whatever is on the inside will come out. Unfortunately, very few people live lives of true joy. The majority of Christians live their life as if they are on a roller coaster. I saw this joy lived out in my mentor many years ago. From that time on, I prayed that God would make me into that kind of person. Seeing as I have never in my life learned a lesson the easy way - God has had to take me through the fire time after time to get me to a place in my life where my joy is not based on my circumstances. I am not perfect in this area by any means, but He has taught me how to get there. I have had MS for 11 1/2 years. I realize that God has to keep me in a 24/7 trial so that I will be dependant on Him and desperate for Him. I feel like He wants me to share what He has taught me about joy.

God brought a very special lady into my life several years ago. Tonya has a voice like an angel and she is the mother of 2 sweet boys with hydrocephelus. She has a husband and teenage son that help her, but she also lives in a 24/7 trial. She has grown by leaps and bounds the past year. God made it clear to me several months ago that she was who He wanted to be a part of this. I told her that we had to be living it before we could teach it.

It has been amazing how God has put all of the pieces together just like a puzzle. I had journals I had written on planes, sticky notes, and all different kinds of little puzzle pieces. As I sit down to work on it and start typing, God just seems to pull it all together. I know it is from Him. This is His thing. Our main prayer is that we stay out of the way and just let Him work. Tonya will be doing the worship and some other songs. She will also share her testimony. She is in the process of praying over many different songs to be sure she has the ones God wants in there.

We will have things together and be ready to get started in June if we are able to continue on the schedule we have been on. Only God knows what tomorrow holds. Tonya's son, Brandon, had a really bad seizure a couple of months ago. He was in ICU for awhile. He has continued to have them since then. I have had a really rough year with my MS. I am improving, but every day is a surprise. I guess that is a plus with MS - I never know what to expect. Ha! Needless to say, when these retreats happen, they will be all God. He will have to give us the strength, words, everything. We wouldn't want it any other way. That is what joy comes down to - a relationship with God where He is on the throne of your life and you are on the cross.

If I had the ability to write, I could write a 2-volume book on what God has taught me in my life. Again, most of those lessons were learned the hard way. I have gone through some pretty difficult things and I wouldn't trade a single one for the walk I have right now with Him. There is no greater joy than walking daily with Him and being used by Him. Can you imagine that the God of the universe chooses to use us to do His kingdom work? That blows my mind.

So there is a little summary of "Dancing in The Rain". I ask that you pray for Tonya and I. Pray mostly that we will be right where God wants us to be daily, that we will walk the way He wants us to, that we will grow more like Him every day, and that we will be useful vessels. After that, please pray for us and our families. We have already seen that satan doesn't want this to happen. But our God is soooooo much bigger than anything. If you don't have this kind of joy, get in the Word and seek God until you get there. The journey is amazing!