The yearly writing conference I attend is next week, and things haven’t come together as I’d hoped. My budget is stretched because of rising costs, and it looks like I’ll be stuck without a roommate.
I examine my motives and pray, but it’s still not settled in my mind. Isn’t it too much, Lord? Should I just stay home? Does my husband truly agree on the value of my attendance?
I’m at a point now where I’m struggling in prayer during the night.
Don’t worry, it’s just a bump in the road
We took a road trip from Oregon to my uncle’s home in Kansas when I was a child, and I was amazed at the Midwest’s wide, flat landscape. My uncle had instructed Dad to take a right after the hill to reach our destination. We drove for miles before Dad realized we weren’t going to see any hills, because my uncle’s definition of a hill wasn’t the same as his. Dad joked that he didn’t even feel the Kansan “hills” when he’d driven over them.
In the overall scope of things, my frustrated plans for the conference are just an inconvenience. Next month I probably won’t even remember it was such a big deal.
The up side
Perhaps I’ll be surprised with the miraculous appearance of a roommate as I’m checking in at the hotel. Or maybe this bump is actually a take-off point that will launch me into full flight—or something wonderful like that.
It’s also possible that being alone in a hotel room is what’s best for me. It certainly would help me get quality rest, and that would facilitate the learning, serving, and socializing I intend to do. It might help me think more clearly and listen more closely after lots of good sleep.
I can learn, I suppose, to stifle my frugal nature and give right-of-way to some much desired focus time. Why, the quiet nights could even enhance my writing!
“In you, Lord my God, I put my trust. I trust in you; do not let me be put to shame, nor let my enemies triumph over me. No one who hopes in you will ever be put to shame . . . Show me your ways, Lord, teach me your paths. Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long” (Psalm 25:1-4 NIV).
I’m doing what I can. Now I need to trust God to work out the rest.
by Kathy Sheldon Davis
———–
UPDATE: I have a roommate! God bless her.
kathysheldondavis.com 
I agree with your prayer, Lynn. I’m thinking of when Jesus said to a wild storm, “Peace, be still.” He hears us, he is close by, and he takes care of us.
Update: It’s not quite the eleventh hour, but I now have a roommate!
Kathy, my finances are stretched to the max, too, and so is my trust in God. I’m experiencing a bit of anxiety that kind of gnaws at me. I’m glad you are so transparent and vulnerable to share this. I pray that God will bring a roommate, even if it’s at the eleventh hour. And if Jesus doesn’t provide one, He Himself will be your companion there. I pray that Shalom peace fills us, even though we don’t know how He will work things out. I love you!
Thank you for your encouraging and wise words, Mr. Rea. I appreciate them more than you know!
Think of attending the conference as an investment. It’s a lot like farming. You never know when you plant wheat how many bushels an acre it may produce, whether the combine will break down during harvest or whether the market will result in a profit. You just keep planting and trusting.