Pray-ing the Price: The Rest of the Story...

Picking up with our last conversation... we crossed the Atlantic, made the first docking at Disney's Castaway Cay and landed in Port Canaveral and my condition remained stable : ) And, for the next four years, the numbness and tingling persisted despite pursuing every medical option. During that time I explored lots of avenues on the quest for healing, yet came to a place of content acceptance where it just became part of who I was. During those four years, my energies were poured into a new thirst for God's Word and the migration of my work life to further the kingdom.

Then one morning, God threw my back out (something that had never happened before) and I had to go to my chiropractor. And by gently putting pressure on those places where our skull fuses over our brain- which he explained are like continents, they shift ever so slightly with every tightened, stressed muscle until one day, they pinch in on the nerve that trips the Bells' Palsy- THREE DAYS LATER, it was totally cured and has never returned.

I clearly remember that moment: at lunch with a friend, who said, "Hey, parts of your face are moving that I haven't seen move." My first reply was smarty pants, "Duh, that's because I'm talking," and then, I jumped up and went into the restroom and she was right. God, through Dr. Webb, delivered a miracle!

As time has passed, I still delight in telling the story and even today as we share it, am reminded of how God worked in me through that season, especially how He brought me to that place of content acceptance. Content acceptance, without resignation or frustration... And, how much I need that for the struggles of today so that my heart trusts the One who made me and loves me, especially when I do not understand His mysterious ways.

And we know that in all things, God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose. Romans 8:28

Praying the Price

God privileged me in July of 1998 to be on the team that launched the Disney Cruise Line. That assignment placed me in the position of making the first transatlantic crossing of the Disney Magic: a journey originating in the Fincantieri Shipyards of Italy, to Venice, to Lisbon, to the first mooring of the Magic at Disney's Castaway Cay, to Port Canaveral.

The morning after we sailed from Lisbon, I woke up with the right side of my face numb and tingling. The ship's, doctor said, "Well, it's either Bells Palsy or you've had a stroke." Not exactly comforting words! Either way, we were eleven days from land and still working 18 hour days to ready the ship for her first Guests.

Clearly, God had my undivided attention and used the experience for me re-dedicate the remainder of my life...which had been awakened to the revelation of "Holy Cow Batman, I could have a stroke at any minute" :O

I would learn a few months later, that one of our passengers on that crossing, (who were invited to let us practice our service skills) was Richard, the father of one of the executives on our team. And Richard prayer walked the ship every day praying for God to do whatever it would take to bring his daughter to Christ. She came to Christ the following January : )

And yet, for me- I knew Richard's prayers had fallen on me. His praying the price for his daughter, fell on another daughter of the King, who needed to sell out the remainder of her life for the only thing that truly matters.

Let's keep praying bold prayers and let God have His way with every answer, knowing that one day we will see how God chose to answer our prayers : )

Trading Responsible for Laser Focus on the Bigger Mission

We are responsible. It's part of our DNA as Leaders. We plan, execute the plan, and move on to the next strategic move. We calculate risk and reward. We look at the investments of time, energy, and other resources. We know where we are going and how we are going to get there. And, when some of those things are not "on track," face it- we get a little nervous... sometimes more than a little nervous : o Many of us have great faith and yet, we lead responsible lives from the middle of our roads, chasing our sweet spots and making measured, predictable process. But, God... keeps trying to align us with His Strategic Purpose for our lives. And, our God is an off-road driver with the wild abandon of a crazy person. If we're going with Him, it will require buckling up with Him in the drivers seat and taking giant leaps of faith- on a consistent basis.

What is the purpose of our lives through God's lens? Are we clear on it? Because if we are, the Leader that God has made us will become laser focused on God's bigger mission build our lives around it. And, it will not look "responsible" to some of those looking on. They might just think we're crazy until they see Who's driving and where He's going.

Let's climb in and ask God to take the jeep off road and plunge us into His journey... for His glory.

The world has yet to see what God will do for and through and in and by someone who is fully and wholly consecrated to Him. Dwight L. Moody    (personalization added)