I am a DEPENDENT Christian

A year ago, I received an email stating that I had a new leadership position! It stated that I was the new women’s ministry leader under my beautiful and wise First Lady, Torsha Johnson. I was beyond excited.

My journey to the interview began four years before. I had come to the church looking for the women’s ministry. The church I was rooted in previously had an amazing women’s ministry (s\o DODD at The Bridge). What I found out, was that the women’s ministry was not currently active.

Everybody say it with me: WHAT IS FOR YOU, IS FOR YOU!

In 2013, the job description went up, the interviews happened, and the waiting came again. JESUS has really been dealing with me in my season of “hurry up and wait” (HUAW). Did I like it? NO. Do I like it now? NOOOOO! Do I respect it, you bet cha! September 6, 2013 I received the congratulatory email. Tears streamed down my face in the middle of a work lunch. God answered my prayer. HE TENDS TO DO THAT! Not because I am so awesome, because HE IS. The next step would be a life changing one, I met with Lady J.

LISTEN: MY FIRST LADY IS AN AWESOME WOMAN OF GOD, PERIOD.

Not just because she is my first lady, she is just genuine awesome in a body. Seriously. Our first meeting was in October 2013. I met her at the discussed location with my pages of handwritten notes. My “Spiritual Kick” advised me the summer before to put my heart on paper. Thank God I’m teachable and coachable. That first meeting was so much more than the ministry. My first lady asked about me! Fancy that!!??! She was interested in the woman that I was/am. She even remembered the first time I met her, I asked her to pray for me. I had NO CLUE that that day would precede this one.

That meeting was epic. We were so excited for what God was going to do for the women’s ministry at
Higher D. At that time, God had not revealed the name. Then… HUAW struck again. For reasons unknown to me at the time, I had to put our plans on hold.

HAS ANYBODY EVER HAD GOD GIVE THEM AN ASSIGNMENT AND THEN SAY….BUT WAIT A MINUTE?!?

Ugh, the flesh had a field day with that one. I went through some personal warfare, relational warfare, and the excitement turned into frustration.

ANYTIME YOU TAKE YOUR EYES OFF OF GOD AND PUT THEM ON YOUR SITUATION, YOU ARE GOING TO FOCUS ON THE PROBLEM AND THE PAIN. THE SOLUTION IS ALWAYS REVEALED AFTER YOU RE-FOCUS ON GOD.

After I crawled back to God on my knees, praying and living my Jesus-centered life (verses my flesh complaining life), things begin to SHIFT. Although I only saw the surface of the shift, God’s calendar is always on time. More meetings happened and a relationship formed. Did I mention that my first lady is awesome?? Somewhere I begin to see her as “Naomi”. I have always professed to be a Ruth and Naomi type of woman. Always seeking Godly mentorship, usually finding it in spurts. My Naomi, without my asking, without a conversation, began to pour into me. ::if you are a shouter, here is your cue::

Fast forward to June 2014. The enemy must know that God wins NO MATTER HOW HE ATTACKS. He has to, because he started attacking me. The closer I got to July, the more things seemed to shift around me.

JULY 2014 both God and Pastor J said, “Go”. Lady J and I got together again…and plans were put down on calendars.

OH HAPPY DAY! NO REALLY….CUE “HAPPY” AND DANCE!!

The Concert of Prayer(COP) was approved by the church and given September 9 and 10th as go dates. The core team was assembled through prayer, invitation to interest, and finally answered prayers. More meetings, phone calls, and emails, and then ::cue drum roll:: THE FAST.

EVEN AS A MEAT AND POTATOES CHRISTIAN (as opposed to just milk), FASTING WAS HARD FOR ME before 2011.

Slowly but surely, God began to work on me and my level of sacrifice. This past Lenten season my church fasted for 40 days. So guess who also fasted for 40 days?? ME. The VIRTUE core team decided on what we thought was a 7 day fast. Hello to women who didn’t count on a calendar. We actually scheduled an 8 day fast…new beginnings and extended it to a 9 day fast to cover both COP’s. Normally that wouldn’t have mattered to me, but when Pastor J began his CHURCH ON FIRE series in September, my spirit leaped. We, like the 120 before Pentecost, were praying for 9 days. We were sacrificing for 9 days through a fast. We were on one accord and seeking after GOD.

The result?

THE LORD WAS THERE.

The Concert of Prayer was a revival.

Revived in areas covering our PASTOR, ALIGNMENT/PURPOSE, OUTREACH, FAMILY, MEN, WOMEN, AND HEALING.

Two nights in a row, the Lord’s train filled the temple! The building was filled with the Holy Spirit, and more importantly, our HEARTS were filled with the presence of God. I can’t explain it, I just can’t.

AFTER DAY ONE of the COP, I encountered frustrating detail after frustrating detail at work. Awe, we’ve angered the enemy….we brought the church together on one accord with God as the focus. We were being the church and he lashed out.

NO WORRIES, MY GOD NEVER LOOSES A BATTLE. DAY TWO OF THE COP WAS EVEN MORE POWERFUL.

I learned something pivotal on this journey. I am a dependent Christian. I am NOT an independent woman. WITHOUT GOD I CAN DO NOTHING. That’s not a cliché. That’s my life. I am only here because God lead me to the right place at the right time. I am only a Ruth because Naomi choose me. I am blessed when I follow, when I submit. Unmarried women are submitted to God. Married women are submitted to God and then their husbands. My Naomi is married. She is a walking example of the woman I want to grow into. Why? I can SEE God in her. I want to be that when I grow up J ! I want to be a woman that people see God in, instead of seeing me.

Hi, my name is Andonnia, and I am a dependent Christian. Are you?

IVY OUT