If you know me and you know that I wrote 53 pages of message notes while I was at Colour, you’ll realise that what I’m going to share with you this morning and the time it’ll take me is solely from God. You know I’ve been to Colour 5 times now and come back from each Colour with different feelings. The first time I was shocked but loved being in the house of God and feeling treasured, valued and princessy. At the time I needed to know that God was my Dad and loved me regardless. That I had an inheritance and a future in Him. I bought the shirt and came back with a halo only I could see. But it was only a matter of time before the princess faded back to a Cinderella in the kitchen. Because that was only part of my description as I learned at Colour 2. Colour 2 was all about being a Warrior. The first part to the ‘Warrior, Princess, Daughter’ logo that was on my shirt. I was more at ease with the princess bit and the daughter bit but the warrior bit demanded some action from my end as Colour started to touch on. I was both broken and started healing at this colour. It was an emotionally exhausting but freeing time for me. And a real turning point in my life. Colour 3 was about working together as women to do a job. Support the men in their roles and encourage the women in theirs. There was a real sense of urgency. As women we do need to be princesses, but feisty ones, with swords and armed with the Word of God against attack. Redefining a Woman’s role in God. Undoing damage and lies from the enemy and unravelling God’s Truth. A lot of damage has been done to the role of a woman and I believe the enemy is using lies to inhibit us and render us less effective if not ineffective. As a young woman I for years have used the excuses that because my parents divorced, or confusion from the media or not having older women constantly mentoring me, meant that I didn’t know how to be the best wife, mum and friend. But you know what. That is a lie. If I was the only woman I knew, I could know my role in God and be effective as a wife, mum and friend. So this year I have been seeking God and coming to terms with who I am. Getting comfortable with me, liking me, and loving where God has me in life. I’ve stopped caring what other girls think and therefore feeling free to be who God has designed me to be. I have been known to go to Colour each year, flat and deflated expecting to be pumped up with God’s love and goodness enough to last me through to the next Colour. But each year Colour has inflated me less and less with the encouragement to take responsibility when I get home for my own inflation. And I know how to but sometimes I believe the lies that God is scary when you’ve been naughty, or He’s busy, or I’m too busy, or whatever the excuse. But what I learned was the truth I had confused for a twisted lie from the enemy. It was holding me back and making me feel inadequate and self-centred. I know now that life is simple. God is theree ready and loves me. All I have to do is lean into Him. I love that picture of squishing into His tummy and Him putting His arm around me. He doesn’t care about my past, just that I am there in His arms wanting to spend time with Him. So when Colour came around I was going to be ready. Ready for whatever, but not needing inflating. This year was even less girly and smushy as seemed to be the pattern. But when I came back a bit cranky, I was not very popular with the men in my life who had worked really hard to make me feel like a princess before I left and cleaned the house spotlessly for my return. And I mean shock factor of 10 ½. I was cranky because the message I kept hearing this year was so simple. I had paid good money to be told something I should have known. Things like. As women our role is different to that off Men. That God has made me unique with a unique purpose. That being a mum is a purpose of its own. That God is there and available for me, actually waiting for me to talk. That I can do things now, before I get rich and my kids grow up. That the Bible is a timeless and relevant answer and one of the ways God uses to communicate and encourage us. That being willing is all we need to be. God will meet us where we’re at and blow us away with His Power. That women are our own worst enemies and we need to be responsible for changing that. That staying close to God is the only way to tell the lies from the truth. That being useless and ineffective is not who I am but what I become if I do nothing. So now I press send on and encouraging email just in case it can be used by God rather than expecting it to do nothing so not send it all. I now feel encouraged just to do what I can do. If we all play our part as a member of the sisterhood, Great things can be done. I am still refining what that is for me. For you it could be to support the Wototo Children’s homes in Uganda for Aids victims, for which there will be a brunch box near the front door to place the money you pledged at Colour and an account will be opened with the plan to fundraise more funds in the near future. I know this touched many of us. You know alone, we are little, together we are a lot and with God we are a life force.
