The writer’s conference is over, and I’m home, unpacked, and working to organize all the notes, books, handouts, and CDs accumulated during those inspirational 5 days.

As I drove the 112 miles from my house to Wheaton College last Tuesday, I spent some time talking to God about his purposes for the conference. “I’m not entirely sure why I’m going, Lord,” I said, “but I certainly felt you urging me to sign up. Where are you taking me? I’m anxious to know.”

On the first day, during the first meeting, our speaker gave a motivational talk, and it was as if she’d heard me in the car. She said, “Most of you aren’t sure what these next days will hold, and some of you aren’t sure why you even came. We’d all like to know right up front where God is taking us, but like Abraham of the Bible, he isn’t telling yet.”

She (and God) had my attention.

She cited Genesis 12:1 and God’s directive to Abraham. “Leave your native country, your relatives, and your father’s family, and go…” Poor Abraham didn’t get the specifics, just like most of us attending the conference. But almost all of us had felt God’s instruction to go, just like Abraham .

Our speaker went on. “God didn’t let Abraham in on where he was taking him or what was awaiting him. Surely Abraham believed it was something good, or he wouldn’t have taken that big step of saying goodbye to his relatives, his occupation, his traditions, and all things familiar.

Or maybe he just knew enough about God to know it would be worth his while to follow him anywhere, even if he didn’t get to see the map. Those of us at the writer’s conference didn’t have to take the massive leap of faith Abraham did, but we did experience a mini-version of it, unsure of our end results.

Mary’s walk into cancer and its dreadful treatment is another example of God leading someone to whom he hasn’t shown the map. And so far, the journey has been difficult. Even so, Mary is in Abraham’s camp, knowing enough about God to believe it’ll be worth her while to follow him anywhere… even through surgery, chemotherapy, and beyond.

Our conference speaker ended her talk with a very encouraging word while still in Genesis 12:1. She said, “Just before Abraham left, God gave him a valuable piece of information, a sense of the map. He said, ‘Go… and I will show you’.”

Mary is on the way, and little by little, God will show her the map.

“He who calls you is faithful.” (1 Thessalonians 5:24)

Praising and Praying with Mary

1. I’m praising God for so many people telling me today they’ll be praying tomorrow during my 4th infusion.
2. Thankful also for a very full day, helping to keep my mind off tomorrow.
3. Please pray for our appointment with a specialist tomorrow to investigate the pain caused by my feeding tube.
4. Pray against the overwhelming nausea that seems to follow chemo.