An Account Which Begins at My Church and Ends in a Police Car

I've hesitated to write this post, not because I didn't want to recount the events of the past 4 days, but because every time I sit down to type it all out . . . . words fail me. There is simply too much to say.

At 5:45 am on Thursday morning, I stepped rather sluggishly into my van and drove with 4 women from my church to Chicago, where we met up with 15 other sisters for the first ever True Woman Conference. (Follow the link to hear sessions, view the blog and/or join the movement!)

We listened to godly and inspiring speakers: Nancy Leigh DeMoss, Janet Parshall, Joni Earickson Tada, Karen Loritts, John Piper, Mary Kassian. We attended breakout sessions that spoke to specific topics such as motherhood, singleness, friendship, hospitality, mentoring, and leadership in women's ministry. We ate a lot. We drove through traffic a lot. We laughed a lot. We raised our voices and our hands in worship. We stood in wonder at the greatness and magnificence of our God. We washed His feet with our tears. And we came away with a new passion, a strong resolve to live our lives in light of eternity.

In 8 very different messages, each speaker returned to the same themes: God's sovereignty and the perfection of His plan. Acknowledging His goodness, even in the face of suffering. Our complete dependence upon Him. The need to live a counter-cultural life - a life devoted to my God, my husband, my family, and my brothers and sisters in Christ.

John Piper challenged us that "wimpy theology makes wimpy women." Although his wasn't my favorite session overall, this statement stuck with me. Maybe because just about every speaker after him repeated it. Or maybe because God was working in me, filling me with longing to be a student of His Word. In addition to coming back from this conference full of soaring emotions and strong desires, I came back with a firm resolve to humble myself, asking - begging! - God for the discipline to sit at His feet daily and learn from Him. Not as another item to check off my "to do" list. Not as an obligation. Not out of fear or guilt, but out of love and a longing to be more like Him who bore my sins "in His body on the tree" so that I might receive His righteousness. Oh, how I love Him!

He spoke to me specifically on 2 other counts. First, He brought to mind several people and simply spoke into my heart these words: "Love them." Forgive and love. Not because I feel like it or because they've earned it, any more than I have, but because the One who lavishes me with an unfathomable depth of love has asked me to do the same for others - and not just for those that make it easy!

Second, He reminded me again that there is no "Oops!" with Him. There are no accidents and there is no "plan B". He is in complete control, having ordained the events of my life, and the lives of every other person who has ever inhabited this earth, before the foundations of the world. Another quote from John Piper: "God is always doing a thousand different things that you cannot see and you do not know."

And that brings me to the new title of this site. It came from the last day of the conference, when Nancy Leigh DeMoss made the statement that "There's THE VIEW. And then there's the OTHER VIEW." Meaning that there's our perspective, and then there's God's perspective. My heart's desire is that as this breath that is my life progresses, I'll come to view every circumstance from HIS point of view. Not just the "big" things - the extreme highs and lows - but the seemingly insignificant moments when the real battles are fought. Isaiah 55:8-9 says, "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways," declares the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts."

At this point, you may be wondering why a police car is mentioned in the title of the post.

As I drove our van home on Saturday with 5 other women whom I dearly love, a full-grown buck darted out and slammed into the side, front and windshield of our van, completely disabling it. In spite of pretty extensive damage to the vehicle, none of the passengers were harmed in the least! No bruises. No broken bones. Not even whiplash. Of course, it wasn't in my plan to crash the van or to end up at home nearly 2 hours later than expected. It wasn't my plan to spend time in the back of a patrol car, heading toward a "Flying J" plaza where we waited for someone to take us the rest of the way home, while my beloved van was towed away.

But I cannot describe the peace that filled my heart, in spite of my shaking hands and quivering stomach! It was a very, very tangible reminder and assurance that God is, and always will be, our Protector. How did a large deer slam into our van, as we drove 70 mph down the interstate, with other cars all around us, and no one was hurt at all?

I plan to post pictures in a few days, but for now, I'm still processing everything I've seen and heard during the past week. I simply cannot describe to you the abiding peace and joy that have been my constant companions these past few days. Not because of any perfection on my part, but because of Jesus. Oh, how I love Him!