This has been a very hard post to put into words, it has literally taken me 3 days, off and on, of writing and re-writing.
Now that Catalyst is over it’s time for life to get back to normal. Or is it?
Several months ago, Wayne contacted me and invited Mary and I to come to Catalyst, stating that they wanted to give others a chance to experience it. God really moved Wayne and his wife, Elaine, to connect with us, invite us into their lives and allow us to experience Catalyst.
He knew we would be attacked
Things went well, leading up to the event, until the weekend before, when we faced multiple challenges, even to the point of me telling Wayne that we just can not do this. One of the first things Wayne said was that he knew we would be attacked. Just before that, Mary and I got to the point that we considered maybe we were not supposed to go and maybe there was someone else that needed our tickets more than we did. As Wayne and I talked late Sunday night, he said that Elaine stated that she didn’t buy those tickets for anyone else but us. As far as they were concerned, we were supposed to be there.
Over the next 24 hours, Mary and I saw God move all around us in many different ways. As a matter of fact, once we gave up and surrendered, we saw God move. Funny how that happens. Through all of the obstacles, including nearly missing our flight out of KC because security was so slow, we made it to Atlanta.
What an experience!
Wayne and Elaine blessed us more than we can express and more than they know. The time we had to get to know Wayne and Elaine as they welcomed us into their home was refreshing and encouraging. Wayne and Elaine were generous far beyond what we ever expected, in every way possible. One way they were generous is that they sent us home with a lot of resources from Catalyst that will benefit Mary and I in our lives and in our ministry, and will also benefit our church and our church leadership.
Wayne and Elaine are lifelong friends of ours now and it was such an honor to be invited into their home and into their lives. It was encouraging to both Mary and I to get to observe their lives and their faith as they lived day to day. We have grown so much just by observing their Godly example. It is truly hard to put it into words.
While we were there, we talked a lot about life and the path that God has led us down and we laughed and cried together. Mary and I did not want the weekend to end, it was a huge blessing. The Catalyst experience, for Mary and I, was greatly enhanced by Wayne and Elaine’s hospitality, generosity and testimony.
Thank you is not enough
As we were leaving, we told them that Thank You just is not enough, yet that’s all that we had. In reality, our marriage, our family and our ministry has changed and we have a new perspective, which includes a greater dependence on God.
Thank you Wayne and Elaine! We will see you again, as God allows our paths to cross and you definitely hold a special place in our hearts. Always know that our lives are changed as a result of getting to know you.
I understand the difficulty in writing your post. It is difficult to write this comment in the same way.
How can one “prove” they are doing what God wanted them to do? The best I can come up with for “proof” is “too many coincidences”.
Elaine and I are happy to be the agents through whom God chose to touch your lives. We pray God will continue to communicate himself through you to your community.
If I were to look at the faith involved here, I see much in you and Mary. “Who *are* these people?” would have been my question. Yet you chose to engage what God had provided and in the process blessed our lives so much.
Thank you for being willing to follow so closely the Master we love.