WARNING: You probably won't appreciate this unless you're over 40 :)
Anticipation....Antici-pay-ya-tion...is keeping me wa-a-a-a-aiting!
Ah...Carly Simon - love her. One of my vocal heroes growing up in the 70's. I just finished up working on my notes for next Friday night when I will be speaking to a bunch of amazing women and girls that gather each year for the AWAKEN conference. I have such a huge amount of anticipation for the weekend and I don't quite know what to do with it.
It's a nervous excitement. So many pieces that need to come together. So many details to remember. So much hope put into two days. Hope that women come expecting and leave fulfilled. Hope that they will leave shining a little brighter than they came. It's impossible to know exactly what God is going to do in the life of each precious person that comes but it is so comforting to know that all His pieces will be there. All His details will be covered so the rest is just gravy. We can rest knowing that when two or three are gathered in His name He is there in the midst of them. We can throw all the bling and chocolate at it that we want to but we cannot match what God does in the midst of his people.
I am imagining worship that will take the roof off...laughter that will flow. Maybe a few tears as God touches our hearts like only He can. I am hoping for healing. I am praying for hurts and wounds from the past to be shaken off. And for much needed refreshment to be administered to weary bones!
Thinking of the song "Anticipation" made me crave a little Carly Simon so I threw on her cd as I was working. It's so crazy how songs can hit you a certain way at particular times. I came to the song "Haven't got time for the pain" and the words struck me. The lyrics are great when I thought about it as a little conversation between me and God.
I haven't got time for the pain...
I haven't got room for the pain...
I haven't the need for the pain...
not since I've known you
You showed me how
How to leave myself behind
How to turn down all the noise in my mind (and that's a lot of noise)
then later...
You showed me how
How to fill my heart with love
How to open up and drink in all that white light pouring down from the heavens!!
God speaks to me in the weirdest ways sometimes! I just had such a picture of Him pouring down His white light from heaven next weekend...I can't wait!
In the beginning of the song it talks about how sometimes suffering is the only way we can feel that we are alive. That it's just how much it costs to survive in this world. (are you singing along?) Here's the thing. There is pain. Of course there is. We do suffer and there are times that we have to allow ourselves to "be" with the pain. I've been there. But there is also a time for letting go of the pain. There is so much to be done. So many lives that need to be touched and if we are going to be His light we don't have time for the pain.
Yes, in this lifetime there is pain...but there is also joy to be had...unspeakable joy!!
I am praying today that God will flood the Safety Harbor Resort and Spa with His white light from above and fill it with His joy.
Tomorrow morning our team will go down there to pray for every woman and girl that will be attending. It is one of my favorite parts of preparing for AWAKEN 2011...a little foretaste of what is in store for all of us!
Can't wait!! But we have to...only 1 more week!
Hope to see you there!
Love,
Tracey
