I just returned from the PennDel Women of Purpose Conference in Hershey, PA. What an awesome time we had as we led 2500 women into the presence of the Lord through worship. At one point I had to pull my ear monitor out so that I could hear those precious women raise their voices about the rafters of that conference center and glorify their Lord.

After each session I would leave the stage early to get to my product table where my friend Sue and my sister-in-law Jeri helped me run my table. As they handled all the sales, I stood to the side and hugged every woman that I could who came by. You see, I went to this conference with a heart that was so heavy from situations that I have been going through in my own life and I just didn’t have any words of encouragement to muster up for any one when all I really wanted to do was lay across the stage and just sob my heart out before God. But God instead chose me to hug all of those women who came out of that conference room with their own tears and their own situations. Truly my heart was filled with compassion for them as I would just wrap my arms around them and assure them of God’s love to get them through.

When I returned home, I was greeted with emails from women who were just thankful for the hug that was given at the right moment. You know, sometimes we don’t have all of the perfect words to speak but I think there are times that God would have us say nothing at all because then somehow His glory shines through and we receive no credit which is how it should be.

I was reading in Proverbs today and several verses stood out to me that I would like to share with you. Chapter 20:3 says,“Avoiding a fight is a mark of honor; only fools insist on quarreling.” I had to ask myself…is this me? Do I want to fight with others? Do I allow myself to be a fool by insisting on having strife in my life? Then I read on down to verse 22 that says, Don’t say, “I will get even for this wrong.” Wait for the Lord to handle this matter.

Now let me tell you. This is an area that I am really trying to hear God in because the first thing our flesh ever wants to do is rise up but I learned recently that God sometimes draws a line and causes us to sit at that line where we are not allowed to speak or defend ourselves or we may mess up the very thing He is trying to correct for us. Getting even just isn’t worth it to me. How about you?

I will end this with the last verse that stuck out to me and it is found in Proverbs 1:21.“Whoever pursues godliness and unfailing love will find life, godliness and honor.”This is what I want to pursue and it will only come when I am stretched out before Him in complete honesty and surrender. Pursuing godliness may just come from our keeping our mouths shut when we need to and I think that is a lesson we can all learn.