A MOM ON A MISSION
Sitting in a room full of other mompreneurs on a mission, I should have been inspired. Instead, I was secretly beating myself up for missing a moment.
As my mind raced with lies of the enemy, and “I should have” thoughts, Candace Cameron Bure took the stage. “Concentrate” I told myself. “The moment is gone – let it go”.
Trying hard to tune out the voices and tune in to the moment, the first thing I remember Candace sharing was a story about her “lightbulb moment” for the Lord. It was that lightbulb led her to pray a powerful prayer that I too will continue to pray the rest of my life.
“Don’t ever let me be blind to you again Lord”
It hit me like a ton of bricks. I couldn’t breathe. I felt like I had been punched in the gut.
Beth. You are blind.
And then a flood of reminders of the goodness of the Lord came so fast my head was spinning.
The fact that I was even in this room, listening to this message shared by someone so inspirational to me, was a DIRECT result of an answered prayer.
Still, I found myself questioning everything. Questioning the business God had placed on my heart, questioning whether or not I should even be here, doubting myself and my ability to clearly hear God speak to me…. The list goes on.
In short, I was BLINDED.
Just weeks before I lead a powerful, 8-day prayer group based on the Prayer of Jabez. And I was sitting in front of Candace because of a UNDENIABLE Jesus encounter occurring as a direct result of God’s hand working in that group.
Candace, like so many in our Recess & Results family, is a Christ-centered mompreneur with passions for Faith + Family + Fitness. (And come to find out, her dad was a PE teacher – CRAZY coincidence?? I don’t think so. Stay with me…)
Candace knows what it is like to take a break from her career to focus on her family for a season, but also knows the mom-guilt and career pull that comes with knowing God has called you to work. She influences so many women (including me) by honoring her God-given passions and staying true to her priorities, “balancing it all” while using the gifts God has given her for His glory.
For these reasons (and more), Candace is on our prayer list for Christ-centered collaboration with Recess & Results. After attempting to reach out to her numerous times with no success, I randomly (not randomly) saw an ad for a conference she would speaking at.
This is our chance. My heart was racing.
I just knew if I could tell Candace about what God was doing with Recess & Results, collaboration would be a no-brainer for her.
I quickly checked plane tickets and travel accommodations and my one racing heart died and sunk, becoming a pit in my stomach.
The price tag was too high. And I had already spent so much pouring into this dream.
Plus, the conference was happening on the last day of our family vacation. I couldn’t ask my husband to make a 12 hour road trip with our boys (ages 1.5 and 4) alone just so I could chase a crazy dream.
Or could I?
The idea would not leave my head and the nudges kept happening.
After teaching a Rejoice at Recess class I was driving home and I prayed, “God, if this is your will, make the plane ticket less than $200. It’s the only way. If you do, I will know without a doubt the prompting is from you.”
It was a Friday. Plane tickets NEVER go down in price on a Friday.
Imagine my surprise and sheer shock to see $100 plane ticket.
I called my husband, told him the story, and without hesitation he said, “You have to go.”
I booked the ticket, which went down even more in price during booking, and then booked my hotel which was ½ price! THANK YOU, JESUS!!!
I gathered a gift for Candace, asked our owners to record some personal messages for her, wrote an invitation, and PRAYED!
The entire Recess family prayed. And we prayed more.
And with prayer comes peace and excitement. What did God have in store? Obviously it was His plan to have me at this conference. It was in His plan for me to meet Candace.
I was filled with anxious anticipation as I marveled at the wonder of God.
THE “MOM”-ENT ARRIVES
Candace arrived at the conference and my first meeting with her was a group photo. No opportunity to give her the gift.
BUT then we were taken to a smaller room where Candace came and spoke to a small group for a few minutes. As she was getting ready to leave my BFF nudged me and said “B, you have to go now.”
“Now?!” “I can’t do it now!”
“You have to!”
Before I knew what was happening, I was walking in the front of the room (in front of everyone) straight to Candace. I stopped and asked who I thought was her security (later found out that was not true) if I could give her a gift. To my surprise – he said “of course!” THANK YOU, JESUS!
I walked up to her, told her I had prayed about meeting her and hope she enjoyed the gift and note, and turned and walked away.
AHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!
And then the enemy came after me HARD. “Why didn’t you say more?! She will never remember that. She probably didn’t even open the gift or the card. What a waste of time. You left your family for this? You sacrificed your last day of vacation and you couldn’t think of anything better to say?!”
But I prayed. And I asked my Recess family to pray.
Just an hour later, leaving the ladies room before going into hear Candace’s main address, I turn around to see Candace behind me. What?! Another chance!
“Oh Hi!!!!” was all I could say before I turned back around after realizing Candace was being escorted into an elevator watched by hotel security.
“BETH – WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! YOU JUST MISSED ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY!”
The enemy attacks again… with an army of voices in my mind.
BLIND.
As we listened to Candace on the big stage later that night, she shared that powerful prayer: “God, don’t ever let me be blind to you again” and it hit me. I was so focused on the things I was or wasn’t doing… the things that I could have done differently… kicking myself for not making something more happen… that I was BLIND to what God was doing in me, through me, and around me.
Everything about that event, the Candace encounter, the note, the gift, the potential collaboration…. It all has been covered 1000x over in prayer. How narcissistic of me to think that anything I could possibly do would be more powerful than that?!
“God, I beg you, don’t ever let me be blind to you again. Forgive me God. Use me.”
And then my mind was flooded with praises to Him. Thanking Him for the hundreds of families we have reached with the love of Jesus…. Praising Him for the financial blessing this has been for our owners… shouting praising for the friendships and fellowship that has happened because of this dream He placed on my heart and gave me the courage and resources needed to chase it…. Lifting up my hands to Him for all the miracles and answered prayers in my own life starting with my miracle babies and my greatest gift from Him, my husband.
“God don’t ever let me be blind to you again.”
Time seemed to stand still as I prayed that same prayer and the Lord flooded my mind with all the incredible ways He has been working in my life.
As things came back into focus, the next thing I heard Candace say was “You don’t have to be on this stage to do big things for God. God is using you right where you are and you are doing big things if you are sharing Him.”
Easter 4:14 “…you were made for such a time as this. Do not remain silent”
“Everything I do now is about the mission…. a tool to share my faith.”
“Whatever God wanted me to do with my life I was willing. All I want to do is please you and I know you will open and close doors accordingly. It gave me peace. It wasn’t easy but I had peace. “
Peace. Yes.
I too have experienced that Peace…. The kind that passes all understanding. The kind that can only come from knowing He is at work in your life.
Peace.
My purpose is to bring people one step closer to Jesus. All people. Non-Believers who need him and believers that want to go deeper.
We can use our business and our work to further our purpose and that is what we do at Recess & Results.
And I know God is just getting started.
“Dear God, don’t ever let me be blind to you again.”
What happened with the gift you wonder? Stay tuned…. ?
Want to learn more about the event I attended? Check out Mary & Martha and represent Candace Cameron Bure’s Christmas Collection + more faith-inspired living items.
