A Starbucks Revival

It was May of 2011.

Starbucks was crowded that morning. 

I ordered my drink and made my way to the very back of the coffee shop and slid into the long church pew.  I spread out pages of teachings and a laptop and bible across the tiny table like "thanksgiving dinner" as Nana says.

This morning was a rare gift for me.

As a mother of six children, I am never alone at a Starbucks- ever.

My husband had offered me the morning in order to prepare for a women's conference that weekend and I just so happen to have a special affection for drinking coffee while it's still hot and any place of business that is holy enough to offer church pews for seating and sipping.

I mean, how fabulous is that? 

Seriously. You just have to love the South.

I would also like to add that being born and raised in the south and in the heart of the bible belt for that matter, one grows up with phrases and funny sentiments and also, lots of talk about revival. And phrases like, "Revival is coming" or "We are praying for revival" and so on...

If you are the least bit Southern- you are nodding right now, yes?

Which is all wonderful and I adore my southern heritage.

But I want to believe that the gift that is revival is living and breathing inside each and every one of us.

And I also happen to believe that we can't be so heavenly minded that we are no earthly good.

We can't just pray for revival yet rarely demonstrate it.

I know many of you have experienced how demonstrating God's love in many different ways-
actually brings revival.

By simply being willing and obedient.  Not perfect.

By being willing to get over ourselves.  It's not about us. It's about Him.

By being willing to get out of our comfort zone.  That's where the good stuff happens.

And so that incredible day in May an opportunity to demonstrate just that, showed up in the form of a  gentleman who was incredibly heartbroken.

He walked up and sat down in the pew right beside me and I immediately felt his burden.

My heart raced and I knew the Father was about to speak.

After a few minutes he turned and looked right at me and said this.....

"May I ask you a question?"

"Yes."

"I see that you have a bible."

"Yes."

"Well, I wanted to ask you... do you think a man can still go to
Heaven - even if He takes his own life?"

And then I felt the weight hit me .

The weight of a heart so full of despair and hopelessness and all of the "it's never going to work out for me" torment-  that the thought of ending it all sounded like the best course of action.

There really are places of pain and sorrow that deep inside the human spirit.

And I am not proud to share that I personally know the depth of that type of pain.

But since the God of the universe promises each and every one of us that He will use every, single thing in our lives for our good and His glory....

He saw fit to place this broken heart in my path that morning.

I could have packed up my belongings and my steaming hot coffee to leave the pew immediately.

Or I could have completely ignored him and just kept right on typing and sipping.

Or I could have quietly moved to another table and gone on about my busy life.

Or I could have opened the bible and humbly offered to tell him about how much He is loved....

But God asked me to show him.

And because God is big all by Himself and amazing and even radical.

He asked me to show him in a radical way.

And so I gently asked him to share his heart and to share about what life had done to him and I listened.

Because he didn't need to hear scripture in that moment. And I am very passionate about scripture.

But He really didn't need some blonde headed, southern girl in pearls, wearing pink flower flip- flops, for heavens sake- to just tell Him about the gospel.

He needed to experience it.

And so it went that after he shared his heart and the series of events called devastation that had hit his family, including his plan- that as of 4:00 that afternoon, he would no longer be here....

I quietly moved from my comfort zone of that church pew and took the gospel as I know it, out into the parking lot of Starbucks by way of a cell phone, the number of his landlord and his permission.

With fear and trembling and trust that this was the Father just being radical on a Thursday morning, I called his landlord and asked on His behalf a reduction in his rent, time to find a new job before he had to pay again, time to get his first paycheck before the next month would be due, a reduction on his next months rent, because it takes time to recover from job loss, and the promise - her word- that He and his family would not be evicted at 4:00 that afternoon if he brought her a payment immediately.

I never mentioned his circumstances.

Because I personally know this sorrow first hand,  By His grace,  I then walked the living, breathing, sharper that any two edged sword, good news right back inside and handed him the scriptures brought to life.

The small amount needed and all of the newly negotiated agreements written down on a piece of paper.

And revival showed up inside Starbucks.

Right then and there.

Between two people and two pews.

Between two complete and total strangers, opposites by every definition.

Because God is really amazing like that.

In the midst of fifty other people taking care of business as usual.

God leaned down and kissed His searching son right on the forehead.

He intervened using a very unworthy vessel who stopped typing long enough to listen without judgement.

And with all the good that came from God alone from that encounter.

All the blessing.

All the change for the better.

The life and the marriage and the family that were saved.

And the son who found the Father who has loved him all along.

Nothing could prepare me for the good and the change that happened in my own heart that day.

I learned first hand the truth that is this - revival is actually within each and every one of us.

But it only has power when we give it away.  

Revival comes when we demonstrate His love by doing something radical.

Revival comes when we take the time to see sons and daughters instead of situations and circumstances.

Revival comes when we pray for friends and neighbors who have hurt us deeply- instead of retaliating.

Revival comes when we choose forgiveness. When we choose love instead of hate.

Revival comes when we take the proverbs and the psalms and the promises outside of the church pews.

I am sharing the short version of this God story, because He asked me to and out of a heart of humility, as a way to encourage others with the truth that all He needs is a willing and obedient- yet deeply flawed- vessel and revival can show right up - even in the midst of a Starbucks.

And hearts can be set on fire and souls saved and lives changed and families restored.

Because God is just really amazing like that.....

And because maybe this weekend, while you are meeting with friends and loved ones or sitting solo at a coffee shop, you will hear the Father speak and gently lead you to experience revival in the least likely places with the least likely people.

And be changed forever because of it. 



" Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved. In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence, having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself, that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth- in Him.  In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will, that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory."  - Ephesians 1: 3-12

A Day Of Remembrance

This is a picture of our own personal copy of New York magazine, dated September 24, 2001.

We were living in the area at the time and my husband's office looked right out to the twin towers.

We just so happened to be on the phone together when he literally saw the first plane hit. He would then go on to see things that people should never see. The horror and destruction of 9/11 marked us forever and we would never be the same. 

Our hearts would never be the same as we would learn about the loss of so many and we grieved as a family, as individuals and as a community for their loss and for their deep sorrow and mourning for their precious loved ones.

I remember waiting at the train station for him that day. 

Rows and rows of wives lined up waiting for the train doors to open and praying that their husband would be the next one to step onto the platform.

No one knew.

No one knew anything other than this- there was complete and total mass destruction.

There was no way to contact your loved ones. No cell phone service - nothing.

Just waiting at the train station.

And praying.

We were all praying. For ourselves and for one another.

I was grateful and thankful that my husband eventually stepped onto the platform that day and felt an overwhelming sense of grief for all of those whose loved ones didn't.

I was a wreck. A mess of messages about God's goodness- but then this. And so much more....

I was searching for God in all of this and understood nothing.

But sometimes in the midst of tragedy, I don't know that He wants us to have understanding about our circumstances as much as He wants us to simply have Him. 

To know Him.

To know Him as Healer. Redeemer. Restorer. Comforter. Orchestrater. Provider- IN THE MIDST.

The pain and grief and sorrow can be so great that we want to push everything and everyone away-

including Him.

But God wants to draw us close- even when we don't understand.

During this time of tremendous heartbreak for the country and especially for the Tri-State area, during the time of trying to recover and find our new normal, I saw so many beautiful ways that communities came together for one another.

I also walked into bookstores that were sold out of bibles. Completely sold out.

People were desperate for God. Desperate for understanding. Desperate for comfort.

We were two of those people.

God will use even tragedy to draw us close to Him. 

He will allow things and circumstances and situations to break us down - so that we will be willing to bend our hearts toward Him. 

Through the tragedy of 9/11 we came to know the Lord in a very real and very beautiful way.

We no longer just attended church.

We began to worship.

We began to read His word.

We began to seek Him like never before.

And we began to understand that there was so much MORE to Him than either one of us had ever imagined.....

I am grateful for the beauty He has brought out of the many ashes in this life of mine.

I still do not have understanding about much of it.....

But I have Him. I cling to Him now instead of pushing Him away.

And I am grateful that He continues to draw near to us during our times of sorrow....

No matter how wide or how deep that sorrow may be.

He will use every, single thing in our lives for our good and His glory.

Every, single thing.

Soaking It Up

Beautiful friends,

This is where I have been and what I have been doing....

I'm relishing them and reveling in our time together.

I'm soaking up every minute and have lots to share soon.

But right now, all I want to do is memorize every inch of their faces and hold them in my arms
and paint pink toenails and play Star Wars and read stories together on a pink blanket in the park.....


Love you all,

Sibi

But God

I love to sum up my personal testimony in two words- But God.

Six letters that cover the entire scope of my life.

These powerful words are my two favorite words in the entire bible.

I have written about them for many years on this blog and have shared them during
speaking engagements over the years, as well as a way to encourage others through whatever circumstance or situation they may be walking through in life.

Last week I shared through a few forms of social media, about the tiny print shop I just opened recently.  I am hoping to add a new print and post to the shop each week. I have a heart that does not despise the start of small beginnings and am thankful to "just begin."

Thank you to each one of you for your love, support and encouragement. It has meant so much to me!

I pray that this post encourages you today.

Here are three of my favorite "but God" scriptures.

"You intended to harm me, BUT GOD intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives."  ~ Genesis 50:20 NKJV

"And the patriarchs, becoming envious, sold Joseph into Egypt. BUT GOD was with him and delivered him out of all his troubles, and gave him favor and wisdom in the presence of Pharaoh, king of Egypt; and made him governor over Egypt and all his house." ~ Acts 7:9-10 NKJV

"BUT GOD, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them." ~ Ephesians 2:4-10 NKJV

Maybe you can relate to these words today.

There are so many circumstances and situations in our life that should not have worked out in our favor.

Or could have ended up so much worse.

Or very easily could have taken our life down a different path.

BUT GOD intervened.

BUT GOD who is rich in mercy.

BUT GOD who loved us- even though we were dead in trespasses.

BUT GOD made us alive together with Christ.

BUT GOD delivered us out of all of our troubles.

BUT GOD gave us favor and wisdom in the midst of our troubles.

BUT GOD intended it for good.

BUT GOD showed us the exceeding riches of His grace.

BUT GOD was with us.

If we sat down and wrote out a timeline for our life- we would have more BUT GOD moments
than anything else on that timeline.

More than any hardships.

More than any trials.

More than any suffering.

More than any unfair acts.

More than any heartache.

I thought it was over for me.

But God.

I thought I wasn't meant to be here.

But God.

I thought I was a mistake.

But God.

I thought I would take my own life at the age of 15 years old.

But God.

I thought I would never experience real joy.

But God.

I thought I wasn't loved.

But God.

I thought God didn't love me.

But God.

I thought I wasn't worthy.

But God.

I thought I was nothing.

But God.

I thought it was over for me.

But God.

I thought I would never overcome my circumstances.

But God.

I thought I would never make it as a single mom.

But God.

I thought everyone else was right.

But God.

I thought no one would ever want to marry me. Marry us.

But God.

I thought I would never be loved unconditionally.

But God.

I thought I would never overcome the years of suffering and hardship.

But God.

I thought I would always live in a trailer.

But God.

I thought I would always have a life of poverty and lack.

But God.

I thought I would never be able to look in the mirror and see beauty of any kind.

But God.

I thought I would always measure my worth based on others opinion of me.

But God.

I thought I had to be good enough for God to love me.

But God.

I thought I had to earn God's grace.

But God.

I thought I would never understand, learn, love or teach God's word.

But God.

I thought it would always be the way its always been.

But God.

I thought there was absolutely no way God would give me a second chance at Motherhood.

But God.

I thought I would never recover from three miscarriages.

But God.

I thought there was no way that God would trust me with a big family.

But God.

I thought God's grace was for everyone else but me.

But God.

I thought God's love was just for all of the "good girls."

But God.

I thought God's goodness and grace and mercy and favor were only for the church ladies.

But God.

I thought God's love was conditional.

But God.

I thought I was too far gone, too broken, too damaged for God's grace.

But God.

I thought it was over for me.

But God.

I thought what the enemy meant for harm would never be used for my good and His glory.

But God.

I thought that God would never use me.

But God.

I thought God would never speak to me.

But God.

I thought that teaching His word was only for those who had degrees, titles and initials after their name.

But God.

I thought that I would never be able to use my creativity for the kingdom.

But God.

I thought that it would work out for everyone else but me.

But God.

I thought that God had forgotten about me.

But God.

I pray that this post speaks to you in the innermost part of your being and breathes life into your heart today. I pray that the truth in these words and scriptures would act as a healing balm to your soul in some small way today.

You are so loved precious friend....

To purchase this new print you can click here:

www.pearls-and-grace-shop.myshopify.com

"You intended to harm me, BUT GOD intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives."  ~ Genesis 50:20 NKJV

"And the patriarchs, becoming envious, sold Joseph into Egypt. BUT GOD was with him and delivered him out of all his troubles, and gave him favor and wisdom in the presence of Pharaoh, king of Egypt; and made him governor over Egypt and all his house." ~ Acts 7:9-10 NKJV

"BUT GOD, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them." ~ Ephesians 2:4-10 NKJV