~~ Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV84) ~~ For I know
the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to
harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
by Carley Cooper
- On day one the assignment was ‘Declare’; that is to tell the world that ‘I am a Writer’.
- Day two, was to Believe that ‘I am a Writer’. The most important thing I need to do this is faith; in God, so that my fears can be overcome and His blessings will be free to flow.
- Day three, was to Initiate that big dream project; such as a book. For me, though, I found that it also meant initiating a part of myself that I’ve always kept hidden.
Ah, yea, that
whole public and sharing elements are the parts that freaks me out more than
anything. It means socializing; which is
the biggest test for me in this whole challenge series. Then again, it’s the biggest stumbling block
in my life, and always has been. Not
only do I need it in order to be a well adjusted, functioning human being to accomplish my dreams and God’s
will; but I need it to be a good
writer. Being great at writing is
useless if no one reads it. I can see
from the lessons in this challenge, so far, that God has led me here. I am seeing changes and learning some very
important things. Which, I know, is why
God had already placed into my calendar two social events this week that I
couldn’t back out of without hurting or disappointing other people. He knew this challenge would be coming up, so
He planned these functions for this week when they would make the most impact
on me. Convenient, huh! God’s pretty smart that way. One way or another, He’s gonna get me to go
along with this and teach me how to get past this hurdle; no matter how much I
kick and scream.
So, today was the
first of those two shin-digs. It was a Women’s
Golf Tournament by Women for Women, that was a
fundraiser to raise money for the Women and Children’s Centre of Barrie. My
part in this game was not as a player. I
was there as a volunteer for the Women’s Shelter. But, don’t get too excited, this doesn’t mean
that I have suddenly learned to comprehend the fascination behind the game of
golf. One big lesson at a time,
please! The event was organized so that,
at each hole, there were special treats for the players. These tasty morsels ranged in everything
chocolate covered strawberries to martini’s.
The duties for myself and my friend, Christina (not her real name), involved
handing out handmade chocolate treats, filled with strawberry and raspberry
filing, to the players as they passed by the fourth hole. The weather was absolutely wonderful. It was about twenty five degrees Celsius; with
clear skies, and a slight breeze. There
were small tables, chairs, and an umbrella at each hole for the volunteers to
sit at. I was glad that I got to
volunteer with on one of my friends. It
helped to enjoy the day so much more. The
setting, as I suppose most golf courses are, was beautiful. I was surrounded by green with a clear blue
sky overhead. The only thing I felt I
was missing was a couple of dogs and a box of tennis balls to make some use of
all that space. I guess that’s the part
that shows I’m not a golfer at heart.
Well, the
tournament was a huge success. It was a
sold out event, and they raised almost $12,000.00 for the shelter. You see this is a wonderful cause, and it is
indeed important. However, there’s a
little more to it than just that for me.
This is where God’s plan for me to step out and socialize also had a
second motive. He knew that my
assignment in this challenge would be to ‘Practice in public’ by sharing
something I haven’t shared before, on my blog.
This thing, that I haven’t mentioned before; the reason this event is so
close to my heart is because I am currently an outreach client of the Women and
Children’s Centre of Barrie. Some of you
know that I have been through a lot of abuse in my life. The current apartment that I live in is a low
rent apartment (in a brand new building) and was granted to me through an abuse
survivors program and the transitional housing program at the shelter. As such, as long as I live here, I am a
shelter outreach client. I am finally
able to live roommate and abuse free; I am safe, and can focus on listening to
God lead me. I also go to two different
support groups there on a regular basis (which has a list of benefit in itself);
so giving back by volunteering is very close to my heart indeed.
Practice number one,
complete!
~~ Dear God ~~ Thank You for the declaration, belief,
initiation, and practice that is leading me, not only toward being a better
writer, but also to being a better child of God. Please help me to learn to be completely
comfortable in social situations, so that Your will and my dreams can become a
reality. In Jesus name, AMEN.
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