I attended Women of Faith this past weekend. If you’ve never gone (men are welcome too), I strongly encourage you to consider next year. (The tour will come to St. Paul again on October 23, 24, 2010.) The inspirational speakers make you laugh and cry as they tell you about the challenges they’ve faced in their lives or teach you how to rest in God’s love and strength to ride the ups and downs in your life.

It struck me this year how the speakers are just like you and me – moms, grandmas, married and divorced, single, widowed – and they face all of the same struggles we do – financial hardship, death of loved ones, insecurities, relationship difficulties, etc. Only one or two have theological training. Not all of them have gone to college. They are people in their 40s, 50s, 60s and 70s who have made themselves available to God. And he uses them and their real-life situations in powerful ways. They are completely willing to be used by God.

(I personally identified with Lisa Harper, a very gifted Bible teacher and author who is single at age 47.)

I wonder, how God could use each of us if we were fully open to him? What if we took our fears, our pride and our excuses out of the way of him? Where would he lead us? How could we impact the world, starting with those closest to us? What are our excuses?

 Not enough time? God can reorder our priorities.

 Too old? God used Moses until his dying day – he was 120. At least three of the women on the Women of Faith stage are in their 70s. Women of Faith started 12 years ago – so God didn’t start using them in this forum until their late 50s at the earliest.

 Not sure where how to serve? He will lead you. Ask him to open the doors for you and make it obvious.

 In the process of changing lives of those around you, God can and will radically change your life. And if the thought of that scares you, it’s time to leave your comfort zone, always remembering that God always has your best interest in mind. His plans are far beyond any of our own.

 Isaiah 64:4/1 Corinthians 2:9: “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imaged what God has prepared for those who love him.”