Redemption?

In Power of a Praying Wife, these were some of the words I read back in 2003, "God has called you (me) to something too. But it will fit in with whatever your husband's calling is, it will not be in conflict with it....the timing to do what God has called each of you to do will work out perfectly, if it's submitted to God."

At that point, I knew that we were being called to Chicago and I knew that God was definitely calling my husband into full time ministry, the Willow internship and seminary. I had NO idea what He was calling me to - other than to support him and my kids.

Soon after we moved, I attended Willow's Small Group conference. Dan Allender was speaking, and he said, "Your whole story matters to God."

At that moment, something deep inside me shifted. My WHOLE story matters? Even the dark, & ugly parts? The parts that I had buried deep in my soul? Is it possible that those parts matter to God?

At that point, I began to dig into my life story. I wrote it down, and I spoke about the details with my small group. I began to wrestle with the bad parts. I even signed up for a six week class at Willow Creek to bring one especially dark & dreary part of my story into the light.

I had heard the word redemption many times, but I had never experienced it. Never really understood what it meant. On two seperate occassions, I felt lead to share a part of my story with an "almost" stranger and at another time with a friend. My story struck them deep in their stories and over time, it helped them to began to work & wrestle their darkness into the light. That's what redemption is - God using all the parts of our story - good and bad - to bring healing and restoration to the world.

Months later, I began to have a sense of being "overwhelmed" - by life, friendships, & raising kids. My husband, Jay, suggested that I was building into many people and that I should have someone to build into me. He suggested that I contact Sibyl Towner. For days, I talked myself out of really needing any help. One day, Jay called and said that he was praying for me and that he didn't want me to dismiss the idea.

That gave me the courage to send an email to Sibyl. She emailed back to say that she would meet with me. She was "Director of Spiritual Mentoring"! I had no idea that I had gone straight to the top. We met. I discussed my overwhelmed state. She listened or at least, I thought she had.

Within a week of our first meeting, she emailed me that she was working on a project with Sharon Swing, and she asked if I would be interested in meeting with them. Did she hear a word I said? I don't need a project. I have enough of my own!

When I met with them, their project was about writing a book with visual maps that would helping to process their life story - the good and the bad! Without hesitation, I jumped on board. I couldn't believe that I would be on the ground floor on this amazing project.

I have now been working with Sharon and Sibyl for 4 years, and the book is called, "Listen to My Life." We are on quite an adventure now with the distribution of the book, doing retreats, teaching classes, etc. and I know that this was God was referring to in Power of a Praying Wife - God had called me to something to, and it fits in with my husband's calling and it is not in conflict with it. (Check out www.oneLifemaps.com for information on Listen to My Life.)