Arkansas: Part 3

15 hours and 32 minutes = 913 miles = Colorado Springs to Conway.

It’s quite the drive.

I would be in Conway for 4 days.

I had no idea what to expect.

I still didn’t know what I would tell people. How would I ever explain all this? I still had so many questions of my own, how would I ever answer theirs?

Echo . . . echo . . . My heart longs for something more . . . echo . . . echo.

None of that matters now. This was just another step. Another step in this amazing story; His story. All I knew to do was be obedient and keep walking. It didn’t make sense, but I was quickly learning that it didn’t have to.

Things definitely played out much differently than I thought they would.

I ended up staying with a simply amazing woman, Ms. B. She is the mother of the senior pastor of the church that 24/7 is based out of. She welcomed me with open arms. We spent a lot of time together. I shared with her what God had done the month before, the accountability time with my roommate and sister, the call with James, the changing of my vacation and now there I was . . . in Arkansas. But even in our conversations I couldn’t help but think, “What am I doing here?”

I must be honest. I was really hoping that God was going to answer all my questions in this visit to Arkansas. I was ready to know why He had brought James, Codi and 24/7 to my mind. I wanted to know why my heart was stirred to leave my amazing job and set out into the unknown. I wanted to know how all the logistics would come together. Where would I live? Where would I work? What would I do? I didn’t get all these questions answered, but I got an answer I never saw coming.

So . . . now you need to meet Lisa.

My second day in Arkansas, Ms. B asked me to come meet a friend of hers. I didn’t think much of it. You see, Ms. B knows most everyone in Conway or that’s at least how it felt. We arrived at a cute little house and we were warmly greeted by a woman named Lisa. We sat in her living room and after they chatted for a brief moment, Ms. B looked at me and asked, “Would you please tell Lisa your story?” It took me a moment to gather my thoughts, but in a few minutes I quickly found myself reliving the last few weeks leading up to my visit to Arkansas. I shared with her how I felt like I was on a corporate treadmill . . . running . . . running . . . and running, but really getting nowhere. Tears filled my eyes as I told her that all I knew was that my heart longed for something more. I told her I didn’t understand . . . but how that was ok. I ended as best as knew how. At that time, there really was no ending; the story was really just starting to take form.

I looked over at Lisa and now with tears in her eyes, she said, “Well, then I think I should tell you my story.” For the next 20 minutes or so, I listened in eager anticipation of what she would say. She spoke of being on the same corporate treadmill and how she was simply exhausted. She shared of heartache and pain, divorce, some of life’s unexpected twists and turns. She also spoke of joy and confidence in what God was doing in her life. She then began to tell me how she was looking for someone to possibly rent out the extra bedroom she had. She was also thinking about housing a 24/7 student, but hadn’t decided what to do. She had prayed to the Lord, “Please, please let me know what to do.” And that very day, Ms. B called her and asked if she would meet the girl from Colorado.

Chills ran down my spine!

What was happening?

We talked a little while longer. Making no promises. I was ok with her using the room for a 24/7 student and she was ok if I never came to Arkansas. Nothing set in stone. No contract signed. But the crazy thought of, “Lord, what are you up to?” couldn’t help but run through my mind over and over and over.

Ms. B and I left and began the drive back to her house.

She engaged in a phone call and I engaged with my thoughts.

I stared out the window.

My thoughts:

“Lord, could it be this easy? Do you really already have a place for me to live?”

Then a calm, soothing, soft voice whispered . . . “yes”

Tears streamed down my face.

The voice softly continued:

“It can really be this easy.

If you let Me do this . . . it can be this easy.”

I left Arkansas with no “real answers.”

No one had left a note on my door saying,

“Yep, Elizabeth, this is where you are suppose to be!”

But I did leave Arkansas with a PROMISE . . . “It can really be this easy!”

The winds were beginning to change.