Together

The Priority Conference has been over for a few days now, but I’m still floating on the high, and I’m loving it. This year’s theme was “Together. Unity not uniformity.” I saw this demonstrated all through the conference–from the planning to the executing, and from the volunteers to the attendees. The gifts of the Spirit were on display everywhere I looked, in every variation and shade. They were woven together to make something beautiful, despite the mess we might’ve felt or experienced getting there. It was truly beautiful.

During a meal break as I walked through the church it was so cool. There were pockets of people tucked everywhere. I saw lots of laughter and tears and earnest conversations. Hugs of reunion and hugs of sharing the burdens. There were groups sitting together, talking about the breakouts they attended, sharing not just information but their personal take-aways too. I wanted to stop and cheer them on because I know that those times multiply the blessings of attending a conference.

One of my favorite moments of the conference happened in one of the pre-conference sessions. It was one of those Divine appointments that make you marvel at God’s incredible attention to the minutiae of our lives.

While planning for the workshop I knew I wanted to bring sunflower coasters. It made no sense to me but I couldn’t shake the feeling, so I brought them. That Thursday morning I set a sunflower coaster at each name tag on the tables, feeling a little awkward about it because I had no explanation for them. After setting them out I stopped to introduce myself to Miss A. Leaning close to me and talking quietly, she told me about her doubts about writing and attending the writing workshop–until I set the sunflower at her place. For her, it wasn’t just a sunflower. It was confirmation from God that yes, she was indeed in the right place and doing what she needed to be doing.

At lunchtime I was running a little behind the others. The ladies I knew had filled one of the small tables but there was one lady eating alone, my new friend, Miss A. I joined her and it was another God-thing. It turns out we had a mutual friend who had tried to connect us last summer, but we had passed like those poor ships in the night that cross paths without even realizing it. She had emailed me and although I had been watching for something from her, it never came, even though she emailed a couple of times. I still haven’t found her emails, but God had plans to connect us in a very special way. A sunflower and lunch together.

I thought of all this through the main sessions of the Priority conference. Together. Unity not uniformity. Use the gifts God has given you because if you don’t, a piece of the puzzle will be missing. If I hadn’t obeyed that nudge to bring sunflowers, Miss A might have wondered longer if she should be there and if she should be writing. I’ve been in that place of doubt and confusion. It’s an awful place to be. Getting to see how my obedience fit into her puzzle was an wonderful thing. Sure, it helped Miss A, but because she shared her part of the story, it’s giving me the courage to take my next step. Together we encouraged each other. Alone we would’ve wandered in doubt longer and might have given up.

What have you been putting off doing because it didn’t make sense to you? Let’s obey together. Our obedience encourages each other.

Picture and post by Patty Wysong.
Patty Wysong spent much of the last ten years in a desert season. God called her aside, and after fighting it too long, she acquiesced and never regretted it. In that desert she found the deeper joy and fulfillment she'd been longing for. The wilderness became a place of beauty and refreshment to her. But now, God has drawn her out and she's relishing this new season, even as she holds dear the lessons of the wilderness.