Refuse to Lose- South Florida
It’s been two weeks since I attended the last night of the Refuse to Lose tour. There is so much to write about….let’s go
Last year Pastor Sarah had a tour but do to time constraints and work schedule I could not attend. I told myself if she was any where near South Florida next year I was going. Therefore when I found out she’d be in Fort Lauderdale I immediately searched for tickets. It was a GUARANTEE that I would be there. Where I am in my life I knew I needed what she was teaching, what she was offering.
Recently my department increased our support staff. Usually I spend my time staring at my work but lately I’ve been working to get out of my bubble. I made a point to get to know some of our newest employees. It was different for me, actually it took a lot of effort and mental focus. I know that sounds weird but it’s just my personality. I’ve accepted that. As I kept talking and just checking in, I was able to connect with a young lady. This connection revealed we had more in common than I ever would have known, had I not made an effort. I made mention of the WomanEVOLVE conference I’d attended over the last two summers and it’s impact. When we spoke about it it was obvious to me that I wanted her to have a similar experience. There was no doubt in my mind, if her schedule was open, she was going.
The day the tickets went on sale, I had my phone and two web browsers on my PC open. I was not going to let these tickets get away from me. From instagram you could the tour was selling out. I get to ticket master and I find the site but I can’t make a purchase. Now I’m worried, every browser was just spinning and I didn’t know if I’d get tickets. Nervous, I kept checking, went from 3 browsers to 4. Still spinning. Then two browsers timed out and one said sold out. This could NOT be happening. I was ready before time and now I might not get in. No way, so I stayed with it, and then…BOOM, I’m in! Where do you want to sit? Seats were crazy available, I don’t know why one browser said sold out. I grabbed my tickets, 4th row center. Right there in the thick of it.
So, now we’re driving to the conference and it’s packed. Not thinking, we didn’t plan to be delayed so we’re in the parking lot for 30+ minutes trying to find a space. We actually never found a space, I ended up creating a space.
Shhh, a girl’s gotta do what a girl’s gotta do!
We arrive right as praise & worship begins, those 4th row seats feeling good. Praise & Worship is just what I’ve come to expect & experience with WomanEVOLVE. Pastor Sarah had invited Dr. Anita Phillips, a pioneer forging the way for Christian perspective on handling mental health. There was even a live Rescue Eve, you know, those of us that have known better but just didn’t do better. This was going to be great!
The best thing about WomanEVOLVE is the commradery in the room. The spirit in the room of wanting to see strangers succeed. No malice, no jealousy, no competition, just YAAAAASSSSSS Queen! I appreciate the atmosphere she’s created and the movement she’s built. It’s based on authenticity and a push to be our best selves.
This time her message came from Luke 1:39-44 “When God puts a WILL BE over your head.” Unsure about her pregnancy, scared about what’s next, Mary visited Elizabeth. Not exactly sure of the promise in her belly Elizabeth spoke to Mary’s uncertainty when her baby leaped after hearing Mary’s voice. Mary was apart of God’s strategy to bring salvation to his creation. She was the plan, there was no plan B. This was the message, at least it’s what I received from it. I went home with: stop procrastinating, what’s next, and YOU ARE the strategy. Don’t let disruption be your destruction. Elizabeth was just the environment Mary needed to ease her uncertainty about the miracle about to take place in her life.
My co-worker and I debriefed as we were driving, both of us wondering what was next for lives. Both us inspired to continue to push forward and not allow life’s disruption to destroy our dreams. We agreed to status in a few weeks. This is that status. This is me, going after my dreams
Thank you Pastor Sarah, WomanEVOLVE, and those other women in the audience. You all made our experience better than we could have imagined.
#thoughtlife
I do not own the rights to the enclosed photo. It us used for pictorial only.
