Fresh Perspective

I have been trying to set aside special time to prepare for a seminar I'll be helping lead at a women's conference for MONTHS!  I kept waiting for some great inspiration to hit me as the deadline drew near. The conference starts tomorrow, so today is my last chance.  The day has not gone as planned.  A doctor's appointment that should have taken only one hour took up the first 6 hours of my day and involved visiting two different medical facilities with restless kids in tow.  While waiting at the doctor's office, I was humbled by my impatience, however, when I remembered my dear friends who are battling (and defeating!!!) cancer and must spend long days at the hospital 3 to 5 days each week for chemotherapy and radiation treatments.

Our home is currently listed on MLS, so keeping the house tidy at all times is a sad priority. I decided to burn off some nervous energy by mopping the kitchen before sitting down with my stack of materials for the seminar. As I mopped, I could almost feel that ugly cortisol surging through my veins.  I needed to relax.  I needed a new perspective.



















Then my 4 year old who had been watching me mop at a frenzied pace said, "Mom, when you mop, it looks like you are painting.  The mop is your brush and the soapy water is your pallet of paint.  Will you teach me to mop?"  What I viewed as a dreaded chore was a beautiful form of artistic expression from his perspective. 

Those who know of my inordinate need to keep my house clean will understand that he wasn't suggesting that the floor was so dirty that mopping it changed it's color.  He actually saw the task of mopping as something pleasing.  So, while he finishes the household chores for me (smile), I'm going to work on my conference preparations with a fresh perspective.  I realize now that the best way I can prepare is to simply empty myself of me and be filled with Christ so that the attendees see and hear Him, not me.  I am excited and grateful for this wonderful opportunity.  May His power and His word flow through the conference speakers and seminar leaders.

Please pray for Whole Woman Day, and ladies, please consider attending.   There is still room for you!  I wrote a little article about it here.