When God’s Glory Comes Down and Grabs Hold of You

When God's Glory Comes Down | lylidunbar.com

 

I decided to sit in the registration area on the pretty couch. My goal was to make a friend. I resolved to smile and extend my hand to whoever God sent my way.

You will be brave. You’ve got this.

But my knees were knocking under my maxi dress. As a first time attendee at a conference for women writers and speakers, I couldn’t think of anything witty to say.

I needed a friend. If just one woman would invite me in and be a safe place to land, then I’d stop feeling like I needed to vomit. My stomach was somersaulting just like that day in the 4th grade when I carried my lunch tray into a huge cafeteria full of chattering kids who refused to make eye contact as I looked for an open seat.

I gulped as a brown haired woman walked over with her She Speaks bag and asked if the seat next to mine was taken.

“Please join me,” I responded.

Pretty please with sugar on top. Please be my friend. I am not a serial killer. I promise. I play nice.

I learned that her name was Rebecca, and as she started sharing her story, I lost myself in the similarities.

You do church drama?

I taught drama for years at a Christian school back home.

Me, too.  Yay!

She gets me. [Insert sigh of relief here.]

My new best friend and I adopted Lucy — who’d sat down across from us and smiled. We headed to the pre-conference lunch buffet chatting like we’d known each other more than 5 seconds. In the line we started talking to Karen and made it a foursome.

Y’all, in less than 1 hour, God sent me 3 amazing new friends.

All I did was sit in the open and leave an empty seat.

God always shows up if you create open space for Him to show off.

 

After lunch, we moved into the conference center for the welcome and opening worship. As I stood and linked arms with my sisters, we lifted up our hearts to heaven and sang a new song:

Here the Word, roaring as thunder
With a new, future to tell
For the dry, season is over.
There is a cloud, beginning to swell

To the skies, heavy with blessing
Lift your eyes, offer your hear
Jesus Christ, opened the heaven
Now we receive, the Spirit of God

We receive your rain...

The downpour of God’s goodness and glory started that morning, and I spent three wonderful days sitting under the teaching of incredibly wise women who are passionate about proclaiming the name of Jesus.

  • Karen Ehman and Jennifer Dukes Lee both encouraged me to love the women sitting at my own table, rather than looking for imaginary followers that I’m hoping Beth Moore will share with me some day.
  • Lynn Cowell challenged me to put my big girl pants on and keep going when it’s messy and hard because God’s calling is not about my comfort.
  • Katy McCown impressed upon me the importance of investing in you, my audience. She told me to pray for you.
  • Pastor Chris Hodges said I must suit up for success by wearing a garment of praise and assuming the best about others.
  • Chrystal Evans Hurst argued that interruptions are an invitation to experience an intimate encounter with Jesus.
  • Whitney Capps kicked my behind by proclaiming: “If you want to change the kingdom, go home and love your local church.”

My heart left Charlotte, NC full. But God was not done speaking yet. He had the sweetest surprise for me in the quiet.

Two days after the conference ended, I still needed a nap to recuperate. My hubby was driving us home, and I grabbed my Bible and decided to catch up on my Old Testament readings. I was about 4 days behind in II Chronicles.

Y’all, I thought for sure I’d be snoozing down the highway in no time. I mean, hello… II Chronicles is not normally my favorite.

I started reading with pen in hand looking for one verse to highlight for each chapter. When I reached the end of chapter 5, my heart skipped a beat:

Indeed it came to pass, when the trumpeters and singers were as one, to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking the Lord, and when they lifted up their voice with the trumpets and cymbals and instruments of music, and praised the Lord, saying:

‘For He is good,
For His mercy endures forever,’
that the house, the house of the Lord, was filled with a cloud, so that the priests could not continue ministering because of the cloud; for the glory of the Lord filled the house of God.

God speaks loudest when I stop striving and simply look up and allow His glory to pour down into the quiet places in my heart.

When God’s glory comes down:

Our hearts are filled with praise

When we clearly see the goodness and grace of God, we cannot help put proclaim He is glorious.

I will praise you, Lord my God, with all my heart; I will glorify your name forever. (Psalm 86:12, NIV)

Our eyes are lifted in prayer

In the light of His holiness, we see our need for mercy and forgiveness and seek a Savior.

O my God, may your eyes be open and your ears attentive to all the prayers made to you in this place. (II Chronicles 6:40, NLT).

Our body is prostrate in humility

Those who fear God forsake pride and fall down in reverence and awe.

When all the people of Israel saw the fire coming down and the glorious presence of the Lord filling the Temple, they fell face down on the ground and worshiped and praised the Lord, saying, “He is good! His faithful love endures forever!” (II Chronicles 7:3)

I went to She Speaks to learn about writing and speaking, but God reminded me it’s all about Him. If I just cut away everything else and center my focus on His majesty, that’s when the magic happens.

When God’s glory comes down and grabs hold of you, everything changes.


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19 Comments

  1. “God speaks loudest when I stop striving and simply look up and allow His glory to pour down into the quiet places in my heart.”

    Amen, sister! Another great blog post – I need to be more bold and inviting. I struggle with that especially with a large crowd. I tend to stand in the corner or behind something and find the seat nearest the door.

    1. Well, at least you are in the room, my friend! I love you and am very thankful for your friendship,. You’ve taught me so much about how to love and serve my sisters in online community. Hugs

  2. So many of my blogging friends have come back and reported on SheSpeaks — and I love this summary of what you learned because it’s speaking into my life as well. Blessings, Lyli — thanks for putting the spotlight on the glory of God.

  3. Lyli, I have been waiting and waiting to see if you would share about the conference!!! And this may be one of my favorite posts of yours yet! This here was just what I needed this morning >>> “God speaks loudest when I stop striving and simply look up and allow His glory to pour down into the quiet places in my heart.” We are heading on vacation this week and I intend to do just this – stop striving and simply look up! Oh and I will be reading 2 Chronicles too 🙂 xo

    1. Hope you have a wonderful trip with your loves, Joanne. It’s amazing how you can read a passage over and over, but then one day it just comes alive in a fresh, new way. II Chronicles was in full color this past week in a way I totally did not expect.

  4. You were on my list of people to meet, Lyli, and I am sad it didn’t happen. But I’m happy to hear that you had a wonderful experience. Mine was life-changing, and I made many new friends. Blessings to you!

    1. Sarah,

      I wish we could have had more downtime to sit down and really chat. I will need to brainstorm how we can make this happen next time.

      Hugs,
      Lyli

  5. Lyli, I love this. There is so much truth here. Even though I was not at She Speaks, God had been whispering to me “be faithful in the small things, the everyday” “seek me, nothing else”. Sounds like we serve the same God! ????

  6. I have not heard one discouraging comment about SheSpeaks – I’ve never gone. I went to ALLUME 2015 and was so overwhelmed I decided then and there, I was not a big conference girl. I just love when HIS GLORY FILLS THE HOUSE – that weighty, Shekinah glory – nothing like it. Nothing like it at all. xoxo

    1. Susan, It was a bit overwhelming… but I signed up for COMPEL a couple of years ago, and I think that helped. I also listened to the sage advice of a couple of veterans who told me that #1 I don’t have to attend everything. and #2 I need to be well rested, so get to bed early. — I still crashed after once I came off the adrenaline rush, but we took 3 days to drive home, and I didn’t go back to work until Wednesday. I think that helped me so much. — I was really encouraged by the teachings. Would love to meet you one day. So, if you change your mind about attending, I will be your couch girl. Hugs

  7. I’m so glad you got to go, and that’s so neat about God bringing you friends early on. Another blogging friend once shared the philosophy of “feeding those at the table” rather than always looking for more, and that has stayed with me and encouraged me for years.

  8. Another beautiful testimony from the She Speaks conference! It sounds like a truly blessed time! Thank you for sharing how God worked and what He’s teaching you, Lyli. Blessings on your weekend!

  9. Words evaporate from my lips. But, God’s Word never fails. Thank you for letting Him pour through you, Lyli. Thank you very much.

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