Butterfly Leaders Training and Vision
After a great battle Samson was thirsty, not just thirsty but dying of thirst (Judges 15:17-20). He cried out to God. God answered Him. He split open the hollow place and water came forth. Samuel drank. His spirit returned, and he revived. He went on to judge Israel for 20 more years in the days of the Philistines. (from Spurgeon Morning & Evening January 21.)
You might identify with me when I say I “love” what Samuel called the place where the Lord gave him water, “En Hakkore,” – “the well of him who cried out!”
This week I experienced “the well of she who cried out!” For several months I’ve felt drained and tired. I’ve tried physical rest, time in the word, time alone, time away. Yet I couldn’t get over the deep tiredness which continually drained me. I put it down to the intense ministry and travel of last year. With less travel this year, I should not have been so tired but I was looking at a full schedule writing, teaching, training and ministering. I praise God we have women coming to Orlando for equipping and training from the US and Overseas, and women being mentored around the world by email and phone, but taking a year off to rest wasn’t an option. So for about a month I’ve been crying out like Samuel, “Lord I am dying of thirst, please fill me from your living water!”
The Lord continually reminds me of my humanity. After several months allowing me to feel my thirst, my weakness and dependency, He put me in front of a spiritual fire-hose!
Eighteen hours in His presence with other believers, excellent Spirit filled speakers, an anointed worship team, and my strength was restored, my vision renewed and my soul was enlarged. I was drinking in energy, vitality and health with every word spoken from the platform. It wasn’t what any one speaker said, it was what they all said together as through their vital, dynamic messages the Spirit revived and refreshed and inspired. In such a short time at the Florida Renewal Project for pastors, I left a different woman than the woman who arrived. I was she who cried out and was filled from the Well of living water!
My experience reminded me how vital our six monthly training workshops are for our Butterfly leaders. We all need time in His Presence, and a reminder of His vision and purpose. It’s so easy to get caught up in the day to day small mindedness of surviving in our own world. What encouraged me this week was vision. Without a vision the people perish. What revived me was being around other men and women with a bigger vision than themselves, for God’s kingdom on earth, specifically in the USA.
This week, our Butterfly leaders arrive in Orlando from Poland, Peru, Kenya, Cambodia, Ohio and Orlando for their third Butterfly leaders training workshop. They each come from their own areas of drainage, exhaustion and distraction. Ministry demands, family demands, world demands take their toll on all of us. It is vital that these women “come away” and soak in Jesus for a while with other believers, to receive His love, His word and to be inspired with His vision and purpose to continue to do the things He has called them to do.
It would be easy to take a comfort seat and let the world go by, to sink into our arm chairs exhausted and let others take care of God’s business. But these women have chosen to step out, to follow the commitment to meet together every six months to be refreshed and inspired, to be equipped and empowered, and to leave here set free from thirst, tiredness and bondages, to multiply the glory of God in their countries and communities.
You can participate by praying for us this week:
- Dolores Livingston Funeral. Our training this week will be in honor and loving memory of our dear friend, LUV partner and Board member. Pray for Dolores’s family and her funeral on Friday morning, 11:00 at the Henry Chapel, First Orlando.
- The Leadership Team: Doroda and Jagoda from Poland; Jody from Kenya, Becky from Peru, Nan and Roath from Cambodia, Krista recently returned from Honduras, for Marybeth, Geneva, Marf and Cathi from Orlando, for Xilene from Costa Rica currently living in Orlando, who is translating our materials into Spanish.
- Pray for safe travel and for the Lord’s anointing on our time from Thursday evening, March 27 to Monday afternoon March 31st. Pray the Lord will prepare each woman, fill her thirsty soul, renew her vision and equip her in His word to bring transformation and freedom to the lives of women in Orlando and Overseas.
- Pray for Sherry our hospitality and food coordinator who had to leave town this week to deal with an emergency with her daughter. Please pray for her daughter and pray Sherry will be able to return in time to help us with food and other logistics!!
I love and appreciate you, and I pray the Lord will fill YOU from His Well of love and life-giving water this week.
In His Love,
Liz
Liz Dickson
Founder & Executive Director
Love UnVeiled