Seeking His Presence Now: Laurence

Laurence is funny and clever and genuine. She is easy and fun to be around. She is also wise and discerning. I love to hear her thoughts about all things–from trending shoes to the ways of the Lord. Our moms were friends before we were, and I’m so grateful for the generational friendships that our families share. She has spoken truth and encouragement and wisdom into my life countless times. She is one of those people that you know you can trust because she will take what you hand her straight to the Lord, and she will faithfully speak what she knows to be true.Laurence loves the Lord fervently. She seeks Him with a determination that is contagious. She lives by the power of the Holy Spirit, and He loves and moves fiercely through her. She and her husband have three children, and they are all a delight to know!

Laurence’s words are below. Laurence, thank you for sharing the ways that the Lord moves mightily in the details of your daily life.

When have you known that the Lord was actively involved in directing or guiding your way?

When we were planning a trip to Israel two years ago I was asking the Lord whether or not we should go given the tumultuous situation in the Middle East.

We were taking our three children ages 4, 6 and 9 along so I needed to know for SURE if we had the green light to go!

As our trip crept closer, I was fervently praying for wisdom and guidance and some sort of sign that we should go or not. About 6 days before we were scheduled to depart I had a dream.

In the dream I was riding in an armored car with the Prime Minister of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu!

The car was fully armored and felt very safe. He escorted me to a Yeshiva which is like a Jewish school of higher learning. When I arrived at the Yeshiva I discussed plans for a vacation bible school with the teachers there.

When I woke up I knew that I had my answer! The Lord gave me the green light through the dream!

He was saying yes that we should go- we would be safe and protected (armored car!) and I think Netanyahu represented an escort of the “highest authority” (i.e. the Lord) – he was saying that we were going to “Vacation Bible School” – meaning our trip was the ultimate vacation bible school of higher learning for all who went! What an awesome blessing this was from Him.

How did you know it was Him?

I just knew. He’s SO creative and funny and he is so clever. Only He could come up with that creative dream. Dreams are one of favorite my love languages from him so I knew it was Him.

When was the last time you were aware that the Lord was present and active in your life? 

Ok this is silly and may be hard to follow but it’s what comes to mind… Today I’m on a very RARE 24 hour get away with my husband for a work party tonight in another city. Earlier this week I tried to make an appointment for today in the destination city to get my hair done. They put me on a waiting list. So I called a Houston hair place and made an appointment for yesterday  before leaving (not as fresh of a hair-do but better than nothing!)

I was running around yesterday tying up lose ends before we left town. I decided to get my eyebrows touched up. The lady gave me a lovely head massage which causes me to think to myself how absolutely great it would be to have a massage on our 24 hour trip away-for-the-first-time-in-forever -but alas I would soon have my hair done in Houston so getting a massage was out of the question the next day.

Then I raced to the hair appointment.  I arrived and discovered the hair place had no power. I smiled! They apologized and gave me a gift certificate for a free blowout in the future. I was ecstatic.

Now I could get a massage!

I estimated that I had a window of time upon arriving in the other city between 3 and 6pm to get a massage and my hair done. I called the hotel. The massage people didn’t answer. I was not deterred and just decided I would try later.

Then I call the concierge and she gave me the number of another hair place in the city that can fit me in at the usually-impossible-big-December-Saturday night time of 5:30!

I tried to call my husband, but he didn’t answer. I didn’t leave a message. Then ten minutes later, as if he had read my mind, he sends me a calendar invite for a massage at the hotel at 3:00. I had never told him a thing about my idea/plan.

So without telling anyone I end up with a massage and a hair appointment during my sparse free time. I felt very encouraged! The Lord had his eye upon me and he cares about a stressed out mama getting a massage and getting her hair done for a black tie event in an unfamiliar city!

The Lord cares about the little things, and He knows me! He saw my hearts desire and orchestrated things beyond my control to make it all happen. I had said nothing to anyone except Him. Only He could have done such a thing.

Is there a time when you sensed the Lord asking you to do something that you didn’t understand? What were the results? (They don’t have to have been awesome.)

Yes. Recently I reached out to an acquaintance that the Lord put on my heart someone who I perceived as one of those “stone cold skeptic types” and shared that I was praying for her and some family health issues.  I wrote a letter and shared a scripture that I thought the Lord had given me for her.

I got zero response.

Then two months later I received a beautiful letter from her of how the Lord used the letter and the scripture that I will treasure forever.

How have you experienced the Lord’s protection or provision in your life?

In my everyday life, I try to ask him which errand to do first and where to go find the things I need. He always leads me on adventures!

I can’t think of one at the moment but I have many!

A great book on this type of praying that is chocked full of cool stories is Power Praying by Jane Glenchur.