This weekend we had a one day FamilyLife Women’s retreat at a local 4H center. The team was ‘past, present, and future’. With all the transition going on here, it was a sweet time for us ladies to get together. For some, this will be their last meeting here in Little Rock. Every two weeks now, we get updates on who is moving, where, and when. I am thankful for those who are going to Orlando early to be there and settled by the time others arrive! I ended up with a table full of ‘phase 2’ folks, so we are still all in the process of what the future may hold. It was a good reminder that if we are moving next week, next month, or next year – God already knows where each one of us will land.
One of my favorite moments was the ‘past’ segment. We had a panel of three women, all of who have been with FamilyLife for at least 30 years! That was a lot of history on one stage! The stories told were funny, sweet, and moving. One woman spoke of joining staff a bit ‘by accident’. She and her husband were stationed on a military base in Taiwan and called 1-800-FLTODAY to ask if FamilyLife would bring a Weekend to Remember to their base. The reply was ‘Sure, if you will help lead, organize, and advertise it’. When they went to the Campus Crusade director in their area to ask if they would help, the director was almost in tears. ‘You are an answer to prayer!’ he said. ‘For years I have been praying that I could find the time and money to take my wife back to the US for a Weekend to Remember conference, and now you are bringing it to us!’
Another sweet story was from Julie, a sweet single friend who joined FamilyLife as an editor all those years ago thinking she would stay for a year or two. As she sat at her desk helping to edit and create the Homebuilders Couples Series, she wondered how this aligned with her passion for evangelization and discipleship. Then, God gave her this story! They were ‘field testing’ the Homebuilders studies in California when a divorced woman was invited to attend. She came, heard the gospel and was saved. She was also convicted about God’s plan for marriage and reached out to her ex-husband living in Iowa. He actually FLEW OUT to California to attend these Homebuilders studies with his ex, came to know the Lord, and ended up re-marrying his ex-wife! Julie says that she knew then that marriage and family ministry could truly impact people for the Kingdom of God – and has now served here almost 35 years!
I know the same God who moved and directed in the past is the one preparing our future. Thank you for praying that God will work in the lives of every FamilyLife staff woman!