Because that is what love does {Day 30: #write31days}

I had the opportunity to attend the Compel Conference in South Sioux City, Nebraska in January. It was a God thing. Seriously, it had God written all over it. From the moment I said yes to attending, to the moment I walked back into my home.

God set things in motion by providing the funds for me to attend.

Then He sent to two lovely ladies my way, sisters to be exact, via the crazy and beautiful online world. We were strangers, except for a few exchanges online, yet they offered to pick me up from Omaha airport so I could join them for the hour and a half drive to the event location and hotel. They also asked me to be roomies with them.

Who does that? Well, Lelia and her sister Michelle do.

Kind, amusing, energetic and encouraging are a few words I use to describe them. I loved them and still love them.

God provided time of worship, fellowship and inspiring messages throughout the weekend.

Deidra Riggs dared us to dream. Deidra rocks, friends. She delivered one powerful message. If you have not had the opportunity to hear her speak you must add her to your bucket list of things to do.

For one who fears large gatherings of people, thanks to a lifelong struggle of believing I do not belong, I was blessed in mighty ways by community while at Compel. Writing friends, again who I had not previously met, saw me. They called me out. They welcomed me in. They were blessings sent from above.

A Friday evening in a room with eight beautiful ladies all “doing their best to follow God in their every day lives” continued on until the early hours of Saturday morning as we gathered to share our stories. God showed up in a hotel room. Deidra Riggs tells of the night so much better than I ever could in her post God Speaks Through The Real People in Your Life.

When I went to add much needed caffeine to my body Saturday morning, a darling woman approached me. We had such a rich and honest conversation for two people connecting for the first time. Kim has become a friend who drops by my Facebook page every now and then to leave sweet words of encouragement. She’s a gem of a friend.

Before leaving for Compel, I reached out to my writing friend, Lauren. Somehow or another I learned she lived near the conference location. I commented on her recent blog post by asking, “Any chance we can meet?”

Lauren did not attend the conference but she picked me up Saturday afternoon when the conference ended, with three little ones in toe, to drive me back to Omaha. She drove from the “real” Sioux City to South Sioux City and then to Omaha so she could meet me in real life. Lets not forget she had to drive back to Sioux City after dropping me off in Omaha. This equated too many hours of driving.

Who does that? Well, my friend Lauren does.

During our drive to Omaha she told me she had recently read the book Love Does by Bob Goff. Lauren decided love does wonderful things like picking up an online friend you have not previously met and spending several hours in a car just to be with her. Wow! Do I love like that?

I am attending another conference today and tomorrow in the Chicagoland area (I live in a suburb of Chicago). When a writing friend reached out to say she too was attending the Storyline Conference, I jumped for joy. I love meeting writing friends in real life. It also means there will be at least one person I know at the conference. A big weight off the shoulders of this introvert.

One of the speakers at the conference happens to be Bob Goff. The author of the book my friend Lauren read.

So guess what?

Last night I picked up my now in real life friend, Julie, to take her from the airport to her hotel because that is what love does.

And when navigating to a new normal teaches you the new normal you and your husband seek is God becoming greater in your life, you know picking up a friend to get her where she needs to be is the right thing to do. Spending time in the car with her and sharing a meal together is an added bonus. It’s what others did for me. It’s what Jesus would do. It’s what Jesus did. He came not to be served but to serve others (Mark 10:45) .

We serve others because that is what love (Jesus is love) does.

“He must become greater; I must become less” (John 3:30).
 

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This post is part of a 31 day series on navigating to a new normal. To read all of the posts in this series, click here.