Lisa's Journal [Archive] - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

FOL_lover

10-12-2001, 02:07 PM

i've got it. 4 those of u who can't get it yet, i'll post it here http://www.sitcomsonline.com/ubb/smile.gif

October 12, 2001

We arrived in Indianapolis for “The Praise Gathering” hosted by Bill & Gloria Gaither. We pulled into the loading dock in just enough time for me to take a quick shower and rush over to the Convention Center for the “Welcome/Orientation Meeting.” I was worried about getting over there in time. Can you believe that I walked into the room with two minutes to spare and it was totally empty? I called the convention coordinator and asked her if the room or time had been changed. She informed me that it was still set to begin in an hour. It was then I realized that I hadn’t accounted for the time change.

So, Haven and I had a cup of hot tea and played Gin Rummy together until the meeting started. (Steve, Tucker and Clancy stayed back at the RV for a nap.) The meeting was just the beginning of, what I can already tell, is going to be a fabulous weekend. I sat right in front of Bruce Wilkinson, the author of “The Prayer of Jabez.” What a sweet man. I can’t wait to hear him speak at tomorrow’s worship service.

I also ran into Anthony Campolo. I took the opportunity to tell him what an impact he had on my life almost twenty years ago. I tell the story in full detail in my new book but I’ll give you a cursory pass at it tonight.

I was nineteen-years-old and was attending “The Praise Gathering” with my good friend, Michelle McSpadden. Her father was a member of the Gaither trio at that time. At the evening service Anthony Campolo spoke and told us about the thousands of children who die everyday of starvation in Haiti. I cried through the whole service.

Afterwards, I went up to him and dropped my Rolex watch and diamond ring in his coat pocket. I asked him to sell them and give the money to the children. When I returned to Los Angeles I made plans to sell my condo, car and any other luxuries. My heart was set on living on a percentage of my salary and giving the rest away.

Of course, my mother, business manager and manager tried to talk me out of this. It didn’t make sense, I mean tithing was one thing, but this was ridiculous. Over time, I had to agree with them. Their arguments made so much sense.

But sometimes God doesn’t make sense. He could see farther down the road than I could and he was trying to protect me. Just over five years later, I had lost all that money anyway. All of my earthly investments went sour. If only I had obeyed the Lord and invested my treasure in Heaven where thieves can’t break in and steal, moths can’t destroy, and the economy can’t take a nosedive.

I learned a lot through my mistake. For one thing, if God asks me to do something that doesn’t make sense, I’m not going to rely on my own senses to decide whether to obey Him or not. I’m going to rely on His word and remember that I may fail but He never will.