This is a letter to someone who watered the seed of desire that God placed in my heart.
The year is 2005 the place is Women of Faith in Orlando, FL. I saw for the first time a woman that I so admired She was doing God's work and she was doing it with spunk, pizazz, humor, flare and the right amount of seriousness. This person was you, Patsy Clairmont. It was at this moment I knew that one day I would be speaking to glorify God. This was the day that my ministry journey started its course to where God would lead me. This would be the same year that I took on the task of molding the minds of our young leaders by becoming a children's director for a church start. This journey was so full filling but 5 years later I heard God saying the time is now; time to continue towards your true calling. My resistance was strong, I was needed right here. Who would do it all if I didn't? But also during this time I chose to push the Holy Spirit aside so as I tried to find joy and admiration in all the wrong places. It took great loss for me to drop to my knees and re-surrender to the path He clearly set out for me but that I chose to ignore for self. Now, at age 40 I have a clear desire that I know is one God placed in my heart in 2005 but at that time I didn't trust God to get me there. I have an over whelming desire to write and speak. The subject is simply relationship development. God has placed on my heart that our nation and world are dying because they don't see that relationship development is the answer. The key relationship first being with the Savior, Jesus Christ, those around us, dating marriage, parenting, empty nest and retirement. So, here I am 40 years old back in school working on my BA in Psychology, working full time, involved at church, on top of being a wife and mother of four teens, and writing when God says, " write NOW you can sleep later". So, here is what led me to write you. You are someone that I consider a great example of God taking the impossible and making possible. I was not so afraid of the world that I became secluded from the world like you but I was very intimidated by people. I was also some one that needed people to survive. I thrived on relationships and when alone became depressed yet I was afraid to reach out to new people. This was a huge obstacle considering to this point I have moved 60 times and in my 13 years of public school education I changed at the very least 13 times. Some years I attended as many as three different schools. For years I have suffered from undiagnosed narcolepsy. Now, I take medication and it has opened up so much of my mind I have trouble quieting it. As I wait on God's timing, which in the past I have struggled with, He brought to my mind to write you. Here it is my attempt to obey God at what seems like a long shot. However, I have learned over the years where things don't make sense or seem crazy to us if we pay attention and obey we will find God is in the middle. It is His way of making sure He is glorified. It reminds me of the passage 1Corinthians 1:26-29 (American Standard Version) 26 For behold your calling, brethren, that not many wise after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: 27 but God chose the foolish things of the world, that he might put to shame that are wise; and God chose the weak things of the world, that are strong; 28 and the base things of the world, and the things that are despised, did God choose, yea and the things that are not, that he might bring nought the things that are: 29 that no flesh should glory before God.
With all this said I ask first for your prayers but I am stepping out in faith and feeling led by God to ask you to help guide my journey . I look forward to however God leads you to respond to my email. I also wait to see if it is here in Orlando that attend Women Of Faith this year or fly to either Texas or Kansas City, Mo and go with friends there so I can once again see you speak. May God continue to bless you and you ministry. Carol Thomas
