On one of the first occasions that I encountered Nicole Reyes she was on a platform speaking to a crowded auditorium of 3000 women. Somehow, she carried a delicate balance of authoritative confidence and tenderness at the same time and the audience was endeared to her immediately.
She was on fire.
For nearly on hour, I sat on the edge of my seat as this young woman (only twenty-seven years old at the time) taught about the importance of younger women gleaning from the lives of older ones. She opened up her Bible and pointed out jewels of insight from the mentoring relationship of Elijah to Elisha, and then bravely challenged us young women about the disservice we do to ourselves by being arrogant and unteachable. She told us, in so many words, to stop acting like we know everything and to position ourselves as learners who are willing to listen to women who have much more maturity, wisdom and experience.
We were all breathless.
She got a standing ovation.
Nicole’s wisdom is uncanny for her years. She is a leader that God is raising up to influence this generation for His glory.
Get to know her. You’ll be so glad that you did 🙂
I certainly am.
Priscilla
None of us likes to wait. Is there anything more annoying than sitting in a waiting room??? Or driving behind a really slow driver??? Or having to wait in a long line at the grocery store??? Some things in life we’d prefer to speed up a bit!
But when it comes to fulfilling purpose and destiny, there are just some things (LIKE CHARACTER) that refuse to be put on the fast track.
If our lives were movies, we would prefer to fast-forward through certain parts −− mainly the ones where we feel like we’re just waiting for the action to heat up. Can we skip the opening credits, the slow-paced back story, so we can get to the good stuff −− like the car chase and the explosions and the showdown between the good guy and the bad guy, ultimately ending with the leading love interests living happily ever after?
(Yes, I am aware that if there were a movie made of my life, it probably wouldn’t include a car chase or an explosion, but you get the idea!)
We all wish we had that real-life fast-forward button. We wish we could fast-forward through the under-paid, crazy-hours job to get that promotion. We wish we could fast-forward past our singleness and press play on our wedding day. We wish we could fast-forward through the challenges in our marriage or family and get to the good stuff −− the stuff famous authors write relationship and parenting books about.
But then I remember King David from the Bible.
Think about David, exiled from Israel even though he was anointed to be the next king. Out of jealousy and insecurity, King Saul plotted to kill poor David. David was forced out of his home, lived in enemy territory, posed as a mental patient, hid in caves, and was surrounded by disgruntled men who at one point wanted to kill him. He was misunderstood, persecuted and lied about… and he hadn’t done anything to deserve it.
Glimmers of a great king shined through during those hard times. David became disciplined. He became wise. He became generous. He became strong. There were things forged inside of David in those caves, in the midst of exile. While King Saul was seeking to kill David, God was making a king out of David.
Perhaps the very things we are in such a hurry to fast-forward through are the very things that make us… make us more Christ-like. Make us stronger. Make us purpose-minded. Make us wiser.
So the next time we feel the need to try to push the fast-forward button by pleading with God in prayer, or fantasizing about quitting or escaping our responsibilities, or throwing a pity party… why not first ask ourselves:
What is God up to in this moment of my life? What is He developing in my character as part of the divine purpose He has for me? How is He preparing me for what He has already prepared for me? ☺
