Story Time....

Hi, y'all!

Today, it's story time! Enjoy!

Ava stared up at the sun as it glinted through the trees. This had always been one of her favorite places to come when life overwhelmed her.

She sat down underneath the big oak tree. In the patch of tiny pine trees, the oak stood out. She felt the oak a kindred spirit. She, too, felt an awkward addition to the group she was placed in. At work, she was the only Christian. Her refusal to go along with dishonest bookkeeping had cost her her job.

Work wasn't the only place she felt she didn't belong. She was also the only one of her close friends not yet married. Suzanna, who was two years her junior, had just married "the man of her dreams" last month.

Yes, Ava felt quite convinced that she was like the oak tree. Awkward, out of place, and lost in the sea of uniqueness.

She sighed as she looked up at the tree, its leafy boughs overshadowing her. Its leaves caught in the light, sparkling almost as if they were happy.

But how could one be happy when one stood out as the two of them did?

A Bible verse that she had memorized as a child came to her mind. It was from the Psalms.

“The LORD looks from heaven; He sees all the sons of men. From the place of His dwelling He looks On all the inhabitants of the earth; He fashions their hearts individually; He considers all their works.” (NKJV)

"He fashions their hearts individually...." Ava thought. "That means...He fashioned my  heart individually. He made me the person He wants me to be for His glory. He put me in the place He would have me to be. He didn't put me in these situations because He hates me; He put me in these situations for His glory and my good."

She smiled as she got up and started towards her house. She paused on the top of the hill, looking back at the oak.

Instead of seeing an out of place oak tree, she now saw a beauteously formed creation of God. A tree with a purpose and a calling: to stand apart from the others and shine forth the glory of God in His unique creation.

The point of the SheSpeaks Conference is to teach women how to help connect the hearts of other women with the heart of God, much as Ava's heart was connected to God's in this story. My heart is focused on serving God and others through whatever capacity God ordains for me to do so. As He leads, I pray that I may follow faithfully and always keep my eyes fixed on Him.

For a scholarship opportunity for the SheSpeaks Conference go here: http://www.aholyexperience.com/2011/03/how-christians-create-art-she-speaks-scholarship/

And you can find out about about the conference here: http://shespeaksconference.com/

In Christ,