Day Seven: Orange As Usual
The Orange Conference, one of the coolest and most impactful things I get to do each year, took place a month or so after I met Pam in Palm Springs. By this time I was 6 months pregnant and having fun explaining to all my Atlanta friends how I'd LOST 30 pounds- gotta love weird hormonal issues that somehow get corrected for 9 months. Does this mean I should be perpetually pregnant?! * shudders * I digress... While in town I led worship at North Point Community Church, my old church home from before I moved to Los Angeles. It was great being back and great being with familiar people. (This mention of NP will make sense tomorrow, I promise)
Anyway, back to Orange. It was fantastic, as usual. Nothing out of the ordinary for Orange. The only thing I didn't enjoy was being without Jonathan, who had to stay in California and work. But I kept busy with my own "work"- singing, hanging out with my friends, listening to some of the greatest communicators around. It's a hard life, I know.
One of my favorites and a friend, Francis Chan, happened to be speaking that year as well. I made sure to go to the green rooms and drag all of my friends out who hadn't been able to hear this particular talk before. I told them you'll thank me later. Then I stayed in the green room and prayed for his talk for the rest of its duration. I prayed for the people who would be hearing those words to accept the challenges that were in them and be renewed and rekindled in their passion for Christ and the ways they approach ministry.
Once Francis was done, I went to the area where the speakers hang out just after their talks so that I could say a quick hello. I knew he had another engagement and would be leaving soon, so I wanted to at least give him a hug and tell him I'd wrangled up some folks who needed to hear him and stayed back to pray. We spoke for a while, the entire time being listened to and smiled at by another man who was obviously with Francis. He briefly introduced himself, but I didn't catch his name- the post-session music had gotten louder. We shook hands and he told me I did a wonderful job. I said thanks. That was the end of that. He and Francis had to jet away to make it to the next appointment.
The rest of the conference was stellar as always, and I waved goodbye to Atlanta a couple of days after, eager to head back to California to see my husband.
Funny thing- If Jonathan would have been with me that trip, he'd have recognized that guy with Francis...
Oddly enough, Jesus, I want to pray for the Orange 2010 Conference coming up. I believe in the vision and impact of this ministry, and I pray for the leaders, volunteers, pastors, and children's/student's workers who will be attending. May their mantle of leadership be encouraged and challenged, and may they walk away with new fervor and a deeper understanding of the importance of their work and the influence they possess. I pray You would be glorified as thousands of these leaders seek to guide children and students toward You and Your character. Amen.
Okay, tomorrow is my favorite. DO NOT MISS TOMORROW! :)
- C