This weekend I kicked off my spring speaking schedule with an amazing, God-filled retreat at the ARC in Osceola, WI. I was joined by 80 women for three days of praising, growing, refreshing, praying, laughing, and eating. Oh, my…I forgot how much one can eat at a retreat!

In the last couple of weeks I have had a few different phrases pop up in conversation, Bible study, and my prayer time.  All of them seem to point back to a common theme. The first was that the best things I can do for God are those things that are beyond me. It puts me in the position of posturing myself before Him and saying, I can’t do this, but you can. I love the line from Jehoshaphat’s prayer in 2 Chronicles 20: 12, “We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.” Amen!

 The second phrase is that it is important to be in over your head. Bruce Wilkinson writes, “The single best way to develop leaders is to take people out of their safe environment and away from the poeple they know, and throw them into a new arena they know little about. Way over their head, preferably. In fact, the more demanding their challenges, the more pressure and risk they face, the more likely a dynamic leader will emerge.” In so many ways, I feel that God is taking me out of my comfort zone and throwing me in over my head.  Each and every time I have no choice but to depend fully on Him. Hallelujah!

The third phrase is that God works best through me when there is less of me and more of Him.  This really hit home this past weekend. I completely submitted this weekend and my speaking and ministering to Him. Without Him I have nothing to say. It is my deepest prayer that God will use me as a vessel to minister to the women He chooses to bring to the retreat and that each one would feel I was there with a message just for them. I desire to be approachable and genuine, sharing my heart and making myself transparent (within reason). By the end of the weekend, I don’t have much left. THAT is when really fantastic things begin to happen. It’s when there is less of me and more of Him and then my cup overflows and He splashes out on everyone around me. It’s not about me. It is all about Him. Really! (When I sing the praise song that says those words, “It’s not about me. It’s all about you, Jesus.” I can’t help but wonder how often that is really true. Is it all about Him? But, in this case, it is, truly.)

There you go. My grace lesson this week is clearly about depending on Jesus. Being over my head, saying “yes” to things that are beyond me, and embracing the truth that less of me and more of Him is the recipe for big things to happen for God.