100 Dresses

Last night, we made history in O-town!!  Never before have we had a gathering of women like we did for our very first O-town girl night!  The final count given to me was 986 in attendance…I think that included children and volunteers, but nonetheless, a HUGE turn-out!! The children in children’s church had to sit on the floor, so their chairs could be taken to seat all the women. Every single chair that the Civic Center had was used to seat women who were hungry for God! Even more incredible, was the 70 women who responded to the salvation prayer.

I went to bed late last night with the song “Not going back” ringing in my ears and woke early this morning with the same song still replaying over and over in my heart.  I think that song has become a prophetic declaration statement over Opelousas…”we’re not going back to the way things used to be”! I am still in awe and so humbled by what God did in the hearts of our women last night! Never before have I stood before a crowd of women so hungry and so eager to receive all that God wanted to speak to them.  Truly amazing!!

After the service was over, I stood at the door hugging as many women as I could and listened to their words of appreciation and gratitude for Our Savior’s Church putting on an event to honor and esteem the women of our community…never had they seen anything like it!!

One middle-aged African American woman hugged me tight, then spoke these words to me (she has not been part of our church and was invited by a friend last night), “Ms. Heidi, we are here!!  The women of Opelousas are here with you.  No one has ever told us what we were to do and tonight YOU TOLD US WHAT TO DO.  No one has ever asked us to rise up in this community but tonight YOU TOLD US TO RISE UP.  And for that…I am grateful.  And I want you to know…WE ARE HERE!”  Tears poured down my face, as I watched her walk away. I wondered how many years this woman had waited for someone to just tell her what she was to do, for the glory of God and for building His kingdom??

Last night, God told us ALL what He wanted us to do!!  He’s building an army of Godly women in Opelousas who will exemplify the honor, value and esteem that He’s given us, and in return, we are to place that same honor, value and esteem on the women in our community.  THEY ARE JUST WAITING FOR SOMEONE TO TELL THEM WHAT TO DO and to challenge them to rise up!! 

Just when I think I couldn’t be more proud of our church, another event happens, and I’m more proud than ever before!!  And better than that…I think God is REALLY proud of what happened last night!!  I felt His smile and affirmation.  And I felt Him say to my heart, “this is only just the beginning!”  There are great days ahead of us, Opelousas!!  It’s time for us to RISE UP!!