MOPS India Part 2

Last Friday night was the Missional Mamas Open House.  


Joy prepared the table (thankfully - don't know what I would've done without Joy) and I came before we opened up for the evening.  A bit before 4:00 we had a time of prayer with all the other moms and dedicated the event and evening to God and prayed for all those we represented.  Then the doors open and people began to shop.  What an event - I have loved shopping it in the past, but that night I was having an opportunity to interact with the shoppers and telling them about our scarves, where they came from and what they represented.  I was excited to help them find just the right scarf and have a little girl talk.  It was fun.  


These scarves, I LOVED them.  I had looked at a few before we started selling, but each one I opened was a treasure.  We would take it out of the package, open it up, and there it would be; a hidden treasure just waiting to be discovered.  While looking at it you began to see the texture of the fabric and the pattern hidden beneath the design they dyed upon it.  It would peak through and say "look at me, I'm special, there are things about me that you don't notice at first, but they make me different."  Now this may get a little deep, but the scarves began to represent the woman who made each one.  Some were understated, muted, and then just when you thought it was boring - WHAM a glimmer of something would catch your eye and you would say that's incredible I didn't see that at first, but the more I study it the more I like it.  Some were bright, colorful, and full of life, almost too much and then you would see the pattern of something underneath that reveled a depth you almost missed.  It was a blessing to be able to tell the stories of these blessed women through the scarves that they created.  

Around 6, I said to Joy, we don't have too many left on the table, maybe we should get the rest out.  Thinking that we had only put half of the scarves on the table.  She looked at me and smiled with her eyebrow up and giving me a look of amusement that I have come to know through a life of getting this amused look - this is all of them.  I was shocked I couldn't believe how many scarves we had sold.  I had planned on having some left, to be able to sell them to those who couldn't make it, you know either here on my blog or via Facebook.  By the end of the night we had 5 scarves left.  Yep, 5!!  I couldn't believe it 5!!  I kept saying we only have 5 left, I can't believe it, 5!!  (I wish there was a way to capitalize the number 5 maybe that would convey my excitement a bit more.)  Actually, I think that all 5 have been spoken for now, so we totally sold out.  WE SOLD OUT!!  

On the way home, I was spent, emotionally and physically, but my mind it kept on working.  That day in Kansas City, we KNEW we had to do something and we acted, but in the back of my mind and probably Joy's too, was this little doubt.  What will we do if we don't sell any scarves?  I will have teacher gifts for eternity with 100 scarves, you have the Beekman kid, you'll get a scarf for Christmas.  I could be the Oprah of scarves at MOPS "You get a scarf and you get a scarf and you get a scarf ... You all get a scarf!!!!"  Driving to pick up my kids God started speaking into my head and heart, "It was me you heard at MomCon, you could have ignored me and kept going with your life the same way, but you acted and became my hands to the women represented by the 100 scarves.  It was ME, It was ME!!!"  I realized that it wasn't just me and Joy doing a good thing, but it was God working through us to do a God thing.  I know that I didn't save a life or change the world, or even make a huge donation, but I let God work through me to do HIS thing.  That was, really, the best thing I could have done, let God have this little thing to show me a big thing.  

The big thing is still being worked out, this is where I am today.  Not much would have changed if I would have never ventured behind the curtain at MomCon.  I would not have learned about these women or their families.  I would have finished the conference and wondered if I would ever find myself in the position to take a risk and do something.  But I did and God spoke and what I have learned is if you are willing, He will be there in it.  I learned if you will do something, just because you think that God might be putting it in your path on purpose, He will see it through no matter what it looks like at the end.  If you share what you have and are continuing to learn, people will respond and react and those actions are the hand of God.  

I don't know much, but I know without a shadow of a doubt that last Friday night my sister and I were part of a mighty work of God.  He took our small step and said I know you did this for me and so you girls are going to sell out, just to prove that I can use small things to make big change.  

I was able to contact our connection to India on Friday and she sent me some beautiful pictures of the MOPS India ladies.  What a gift to look into their faces and know that we have been a small part of their journey a world away.  I don't think that my journey with these moms is complete, but even if it is, I will always treasure the opportunity I had to sell their scarves and be a small part of their story.  Most importantly I have been able to hear God speak, then act on it, and then to be a part of something miraculous - we sold all our scarves.  We did something and God used it for good in my life, and in the lives of all involved.  Thanks to all of you who allowed this story to impact your life.  Thanks for praying with us and for buying a scarf.  Can't wait to see what God will do next.