Spring Event 2010

Last Tuesday was Brookside's annual spring ladies event. The tables at this event are always stellar, which is half the reason I love to go, the other half being, to get uplifted and encouraged!

The event this year sold out in 8 hours (insane!) with 800 women in attendance.

And Nicole Johnson was there as the guest speaker (she's a best selling author (The Invisible Woman), actor, motivational speaker, tours with Women of Faith, and one of the most sought after creative communicators in America, in addition to being a mom and wife. Wow. I loved her!)

My bible study group hosted a table and our theme was the Holy Spirit, Liz's awesome idea since we're studying The Forgotten God- it took a lot of brainstorming but we worked it out! ( I still think Beccy's idea of a hole'y tablecloth would have been funny! )



I designed 8 paper cut out doves from a bruised and battered bible Sydaleigh tore apart years ago. The doves, representing the Holy Spirit obviously, made out of the bible, to represent the living Word, 8 of them, (because there were 8 gals at out table) and to represent the Spirit's awesome power to be present in each one our lives. Our bible verse was 2 Corinthians 3:17, "Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom." And to tie that in even more Liz bought a creamy colored bird cage and we arranged the doves outside of it to signify freedom and God's desire to guide us and lead us. For kicks Liz bought us each some Dove body soap, tied it up in left over bible pages, and threw down some red wrapped Dove chocolates. Oh, and the red napkins and place mats to signify fire.

It may not have been the most elaborate table setting there but it was so meaningful, and everything about our setting was intentional. I think it turned out sweet!

Nicole's message was spot on. She talked about being invisible. Not a trait that many people desire to be if we're being honest!
And how as woman (seriously, people in general!) have this desire to be noticed,
and recognized,
and affirmed.
And when we're not, we let it go straight to our heart.
We get resentful.
And we get proud.

As moms, we're constantly taking care of others. Picking up clothes. Making dinner. Cleaning up. And yet, at the end of the day, there are no "thank you's". No gestures of any kind to show gratitude. No nothin'. Most of the time the work we do goes unnoticed. Our work is invisible. And as a result of that we start to feel invisible.

So, she talked about finding delight and contenment to work for an audience of One. Because...
His eyes are the only ones that matter.
His eyes don't overlook us.
His eyes see everything we do.
His eyes see every sock we fold,
glass we clean,
meal we make,
tired breath we sigh.
He. sees. it all.
And there is joy in that truth.
There is freedom from resentment in this truth.
And there is freedom from pride in this truth.

God does things every day that go unnoticed.
People give credit for His works to everything and everyone under the sun but Him.
He is overlooked.
And He is under appreciated.

And yet, He keeps loving.
He keeps giving.
He keeps working on our behalf.
Even when we don't see Him.
Even when we don't thank Him.
Even when we don't acknowledge His existence.

So now that is my prayer each morning...to be content and joyful working for his audience of One. Because it's enough.