The Turnaround

Our Women's Bible study group recently completed Beth Moore's study of Esther. I can't go in to how much I adore Beth (my secret best friend... Secret because she's my best friend and doesn't know it) or our women's Bible study because this will be the longest blog ever. So suffice it to say I love them both so much. Amazing women. Truly.

So a recurring theme of Esther is the idea of a turnaround. She calls it the Reversal of Destiny. It happens many times throughout the book but one of them is that Esther is an orphaned Jewish girl who ends up becoming the Queen of Persia. How's THAT for a turnaround? (side note: If you've never read the book of Esther I highly recommend you RUN, don't walk, to read it. It reads like a suspense novel with twists and turns, ironies, parties and ultimately a love story between God and his people. Good stuff. Way to Go God.)

During the last few weeks of our study my precious Leigh Jones sent me a link to this video of a church who had their own idea of a turn around. Okay. Totally Powerful. I've seen it about 5 or 6 times now and I cry EVERY SINGLE TIME. It's amazing. And totally just like God to send it to us at the perfect time. So we decided when we finished Esther we would have a dinner and have our own "turnaround" ceremony. I've been looking so forward to it and last night it finally came. We normally have about 130 women for Bible study so I was slightly disappointed when only about 50 of them showed up. But it didn't matter who wasn't there because let me tell you, the Holy Spirit WAS!

One by one 30 women stood on a platform and bared their hearts, souls, and deepest darkest secrets on a piece of cardboard only to turn it over and show us how God Turned It Around. Some of them were written too small for the entire room to see so I stood at the front and read them aloud for everyone. I was a WRECK. I realize I'm perhaps the WORST person in the world to be chosen for that job as I'm the weepiest person (other than my Melissa) in any room, but let me tell you...no one felt as blessed as I was to have the opportunity to lock eyes with those women and cry with them as I read out their secrets and reveal the blessings God has showered on them. Powerful, I'm telling you.

Some of my favorites were:

"Used to go to church because I felt I had to"
turn around
"Now I go to church because I WANT to"

Abandoned
Unloved
Lonely
turn around
He loves me with an Everlasting Love
He will never leave me nor forsake me

Tried to do everything all on my own
turn around
realized God's hands work just fine

Here was mine:
Content to serve my parent's God
turn around
Loving and Resting in Jesus MY Savior

Here is the link for the original video that gave us the idea. Bring your tissues and thank God for the "turnarounds" in your own life. What has he reversed for you? What are you waiting for him to turn? Remember that he can't "turn the tables" if there is not a table set against you. Thank Him for the storm...and watch Him turn it around.

http://www.rhchurch.org/pages/cardboard-testimonies/