Women World Leaders Connections

MELISSA’S WOMEN WORLD LEADERS STORY

I decided to say yes. I was in the middle of a very painful family situation, one that I feared was derailing me from everything I had hoped and worked towards for years when she extended the invitation. We had known each other for years, so I was open to the awkward because I knew I would get to spend some with her, which had become a rarity. She said, “It’s more than a Bible study,” but the details were still vague. So I put it on my calendar and committed the morning of the meeting to follow through. I was glad to have pulled into the community right behind her and parked behind her on the street in front of the house where the meeting was being held. Walking into someone’s house for the first time can carry an air of apprehension with it; there’s an expectation of intimacy that isn’t present when we meet on common ground.

We entered the home together and received a warm and hearty welcome from several women standing in the foyer. The attendance was maxed. The atmosphere was joyful. The anticipation was palpable. Immediately, I was glad I had decided to say yes. I walked away with two clear messages from the Lord that morning. The first had come from the video message that was part of the book study they were following by Susie Larson, Your Beautiful Purpose. My copy was on order and I was already feeling annoyed to be behind, but God’s timing is always perfect. In the video, Susie shared these words, “What the world needs is healed disciples.” That’s all I needed to hear. This was one of many whispers to my spirit that affirmed that God was allowing the painful family situation that had barged into my life for a specific purpose; He would use it to bring about emotional healing I deeply needed from abuse I had experienced.

The second message came through one of the women at the meeting. After watching the video together, we were randomly assigned to small groups for some discussion time. Although, nothing is ever random with God. I sat in a small circle with these women and we were all asked to share something related to what we were doing to live out our purpose. I didn’t go into detail but felt led to share that I was writing a book. The young woman sitting across the circle from me leaned forward and offered this encouragement with boldness: “I sense from the Lord that your book will be used to help a multitude of women.” A second confirmation that my presence at the meeting was no accident.

After such an affirming morning, I was excited to add this group to my regular schedule. I was disappointed when the meetings changed their time and location and I would be unable to continue going. But I stayed connected from afar via Facebook and slowly read through the book, Your Beautiful Purpose, on my own. As timing would have it, more than a year and a full manuscript later, I received a very interesting email from the organization that was birthed out of those early meetings like the one I had attended. They had a special announcement. They were inviting women to submit their stories for a collaborative anthology entitled Courageous Steps of Faith, With God All Things Are Possible. My book was about courage. I couldn’t ignore the timing. I reached out to the point of contact from the email announcement and scheduled a phone call. We talked. We prayed. We shared our hearts. And not long after it was confirmed, God had a plan for me to contribute to this anthology detailing the painful family situation I had just walked with Him by taking courageous steps of faith. It was important to share the emotional healing I had received so that it could help other women who are struggling with the same hurts and help them take their own courageous steps of faith, too.

Do you have a Women World Leaders story? As you flip through the pages of this magazine, what might God be inviting you into? Perhaps it’s your own Women World Leaders story. Is there a series of yeses you might need to take to discover yours? I hope I’ve encouraged you to take a step of yes. You never know where it might lead. Blessings on your journey, sister.

Melissa Dyer

Melissa C. Dyer is the author of Learning to Roar, Life Lessons on Faith, Courage, and Female Pride, and is a contributing author to Courageous Steps of Faith, With God All Things Are Possible, an anthology of Women World Leaders stories. Both books are available through Amazon and where books are sold. Melissa lives in South Florida with her husband, almost adult children, and beloved fur babies Jack and Jill.