If God is Real, Then What?

In less than 24 hours I will be sitting in a venue with one thousand other women who are expectant, terrified, and ready to unleash on dreams that feel way too big all at same time. I can say that because for weeks and months leading up to this event I have been hearing and reading their stories of how they found a ticket, how they felt called to come to Austin, how all signs have pointed them to this place. These are women who know that there has to be more, that dreaming bigger isn't breaking any special code rules, and that dreaming bigger is meaningless unless we move forward. We have to move forward.

We are grouped into a generational stereotype that says my generation of women, or 20-30 somethings in general, are self centered and the most over parented generation of our time. While those may be true, generalizations are what gives us a good excuse to sit on the back row. It gives us an "out". But this weekend, and from here on out, we refuse to sit on the back row.

This twenty to thirty-something generation, including these women gathering together tomorrow for a weekend of who-knows-what-will-happen, are ready to show others and the generations coming behind us that we believe God is real, He is moving, and that we are a part of that story.

This is not by accident. Our stories are not by accident, and we can chose to get on this train or get off at the next stop. But I can't miss this, and I don't want to miss this.

So as the true introvert that I am, afraid to talk to strangers because of another new conversation that takes so much energy to have, I am going this weekend expecting nothing and everything all at the same time. How could you not? Surrounded by dreamers, by visionaries, by ordinary and imperfect women who recognize that we can either sit around and watch others live out God's purpose for their life and cheer on the sidelines or we can jump up and run with them. We can run our guts out, because we are doing it together. We were made for community.

This weekend we are meeting together, regardless of whether you are watching the conference on a computer screen, a church venue thats hosting the simulcast, or if your sitting on the front row at Austin City Music Hall  .. this weekend is about community. This weekend is built on knowing that God's story and our story..it isn't for nothing. This weekend is a reminder that we can't do this alone. This weekend is a visual example that every single individual, uniquely made with gifts and stories, with hurts and hopes, will have to recognize that we can't do it by ourselves.

I'm going this weekend knowing that I am a sinful, imperfect person with a story full of pain and promises, and I know my story wasn't an accident. I know my story was meant to be used for God's glory. I have no idea how, why, or when. I have no idea whether that means it will affect one person or a thousand. I don't even care. I know that there is purpose, there is promise in pain, and there is a God who is real.

And if God is real, then what?