Good morning…

Last week, I held my head like a 9-month-pregnant belly. My spiritual director said, “I have never seen you do that before, holding you head with both hands like you are trying to keep it from exploding.” It’s true. I felt like my brain could burst at any time with all the doubling daily details. This spring, I have four additional projects stretching me uncomfortably.

  1. Write an article about “Julie’s Dream,” a new non-profit organization conceived in the mind of our passionate friend Julie Harlan, who went to heaven last spring, and launched last month by her husband Chad, her boys, and a committed community of supporters. (Due date: end of day February 1st)
  2. Organize this year’s Women’s Lenten Communion Service with Ann Platz Groton and our Northside Writers’ Group entitled: “God, What Am I Made For?” This sacred evening will empower many of us to more deeply discern God’s call upon our lives during this season of Lent. (Due date: February 13th)
  3. Contact guest list and develop details for a private “With God Weather Life Retreat,” requested and hosted by an long-time friend in the mountains of North Georgia. (Due date: February 18th-20th)
  4. Cast the vision and collaborate to pull off a two day, community-wide “Awake To Wellness Women’s Retreat,” featuring our fun Florida friends Dr. Cathy Snapp and Kitty Crenshaw, authors of a book I have taught often and love dearly, The Hidden Life Awakened. (Due date: March 23rd and 24th)

Each of these opportunities make me feel like Mary, the mother of Jesus. An angel said, “Mary’s pregnancy is Spirit-conceived. God’s Holy Spirit has made her pregnant (Mathew 1:20, MSG). I sense that each of these four spring babies gestating in my mind has been conceived by God’s Holy Spirit.

My fantastic friend from St. Philip’s, my planning partner for “Awake To Wellness,” also has a brain that is being uncomfortably stretched. God calmed our anxious fears last week as I wrote to her this email: “We have listened well to God on this I think, but trying to follow His lead is not easy. It is much simpler to set a human agenda and get an organized person like you to knock out all the details with your capable committee. But that would be a woman-made gift, limited by our tiny vision. I think God is doing something much, much bigger here and it makes my head hurt and my heart scared. God is expanding beyond our comfort zone, growing beyond what we can imagine, conceive, and plan with our pencil and to-do list. Our job is to listen together. God’s job is to lead. We would much rather lead and have God listen to us! But this way is better because God knows the needs in the heart of our community and God knows the name of each woman who will attend our gatherings and God is already growing the healing gift each person will receive. That’s why we must be stretched uncomfortably big so that God can birth His living, breathing babies on March 23rd and 24th. I love working with you with God.”

If we are going to impact the world for God, we will need to be uncomfortably pregnant with whatever the Spirit conceives. Whatever is stretching each of us beyond our personal comfort forces us to carry on a constant conversation with God, asking for the power and the wisdom of God’s expanding Spirit. “Here’s what I’m saying: Ask and you’ll get. Seek and you’ll find. Knock and the door will open. Don’t bargain with God. Be direct. Ask for what you need. This is not a cat-and-mouse, hide-and-seek game we’re in. If your little boy asks for a serving of fish, do you scare him with a live snake on his plate? If your little girl asks for an egg, do you trick her with a spider? As bad as you are, you wouldn’t think of such a thing—you’re at least decent to your own children. And don’t you think the Father who conceived you in love will give the Holy Spirit when you ask him?” (Luke 11:9-13, MSG).

It becomes an issue of trust: “Do I fully trust God to birth these spring babies by the power of the Holy Spirit gestating in me?”

…Sue…

P.S. To experience what God is birthing in our Atlanta community, please save the following dates.

February 13th, 6:30 – 8:00 pm in the Northside Church sanctuary – Women’s Lenten Communion Service: “God, What Am I Made For?” (no RSVP and no cost).

March 23rd, 9:30 – 11:30 am, Northside Church Faith and Arts Center – Pre-Retreat morning with Cathy and Kitty, “Awake To Wellness: Transforming Your World From Within” (registration coming soon, no cost).

March 24th, 9:00 am – 2:30 pm at the Cathedral of St. Philip, “Awake To Wellness Women’s Retreat: Healthy Body. Serene Mind. Powerful Spirit” (registration coming soon, $50 individual ticket, $360 for table of eight).