Joyce Meyer Conference Delivers New Friends!
I thought everyone knows Joyce Meyer, a Bible teacher who speaks to hearts. She deals openly with my messy attitudes and often addresses my motives and my emotions. She tells me that I can live with integrity and she challenges me to enjoy everyday life, not just vacations but each day.
On a trip to one her conferences, I wanted to be alone, to sleep late, to eat whatever I wanted at any time or hour. All was going as planned … until I met the two ladies from El Dorado, Ark.
As the hotel elevator door closed, I found myself alone with them. We smiled and offered the traditional elevator greetings. Their smiles told me they were excited about their outing.
When they discovered that I had traveled alone, that we lived near each other, they did something awful, the two ladies proceeded to become my friend.
How dare they? I’d come all this way, booked my private room and planned my three-day excursion. I simply wanted to be by myself, alone.
On the first night, they invited me to a late night Earl Grey tea party in their room. I kindly declined the offer.
The following day, they slipped a note under my door inviting me to lunch.
Then that night, my phone rang and they wanted to know if I’d ride over to Lakewood Church with them for the second session.
How dare these two women show kindness to me?
I’d turned down the tea the night before and I rejected their offer for a meal, but their relentless efforts to befriend me, wore me down, so I accepted the ride.
I was drawn to their joy and after a few minutes in the car, I wanted to be with them, to laugh, to talk, to engage in conversation. Gosh, being alone is so overrated!
We got lost in the underground garages beneath the church. It was like an entire city existed underground, and we laughed like four-year olds as we circled the same area.
Once we parked, we strolled in like kids on a hunt for the best seat in the house.
We shopped at the resource tables for an hour. We worshiped with the band Hillsong and eventually listened to Joyce Meyer deliver some awesome Bible teaching.
And the best part is, I’d made new friends!
Sure, I longed for some down time, but God knew I needed fun and fellowship more than I need sleep or junk food and he sent me two wonderful gals from Arkansas to bless me!
Their kindness was as natural as sipping tea from a cup! To think, it took two ladies from Arkansas to teach me how to enjoy everyday life!
These days, I keep Earl Grey tea in the cupboard. I never want to forget how precious a cup of friendship is and how it warms the heart!
