Expect Great Things from God

I entered the maurices’ Main Street Model contest last month. As I type this, I can hardly believe that I actually entered. Standing at 5’3 (maybe), close to 40 and not a size 2, I have NEVER even considered modeling as something that I could do.

Totally NOT being corny, maurices is my FAVORITE place to shop for clothes. I can ALWAYS find something when I go in there and I just love the look of their clothes. On one of my many shopping trips, I was having fun with the girls that work at my maurices, when I noticed the Main Street Model campaign banner and the winners from last year.

I jokingly said to one of the sales associates, “they need some chocolate on the wall”! She responded, you are right and YOU should enter.

“Yeah right”, I said. “No really you should! She shrieked. “Go to the website and check it out.”

So, for some reason, I went to the website and checked it out. It was encouraging that the women who won were really “Main Street” girls. They were not all size 0, in fact they had some plus size models! However, all of the winners were under 24 years old.

I called maurices corporate and asked them how old was their oldest winner, and they said 31. Humph, I am just 7 years and a few months more than that! My daughters laughed at me and told me that I am too old to be a model.

After investigating the contest, what really convinced me to actually enter is that the winners “win” a $7,500 makeover for the local charity of their choice.

I chose Crisis Control Ministries. Crisis Control Ministries is a nonprofit agency that provides a range of services for people in my community who are in crisis. They offer food assistance through various food pantries and financial help with housing and utility payments. In addition to help with food and shelter, they also have a licensed free pharmacy for residents who cannot afford their prescription medications.

In my regular “day job” as a pharmacist and even in my night time passion of dance fitness instructor, I see a lot of people in crisis. Lost jobs, deaths, divorces, illness, all kinds of things that can devour finances and leave people with nothing. As a nation, we need safety net providers like Crisis Control Ministries.

So I entered the contest not really knowing what to expect. I posted on my Facebook pages, on twitter, and sent out a few emails to select friends that I was entering this contest. What happened next blew my mind.

A lot of people starting posting that they voted for me! People that I don’t even know have stopped me out in the community and told me that they voted for me (I live in a VERY small town). The local newspaper even did an article on me.

Just after I entered the contest, I placed a small prayer box on the sign-in table of my fitness classes. I announced that people could place their prayers in the box and that I would pray for them. When I first opened the box and read the prayers, it was very emotional. Women who come to class week after week and smile back at me are battling: depression, very sick children, job loss, cancer, you name it.

Since entering the contest, some women have come up to me after class and shared with me that they or one of their family members have received help from Crisis Control. The ladies in my class have been by biggest cheerleaders.

God is showing me that entering this contest is so much bigger than me. Having the support of my “divas” from class and my entire community has been so humbling.

When I first entered the contest, I didn’t even consider winning. I have never been one of those people to optimistically look forward to something. I have always been a “wait and see” and “don’t count my chickens before they hatch” kind of girl. Praying for other women has helped me trust God to show up big, at least for them.

Today in church, our pastor challenged us by asking “What is the one thing that you know God wants you to do but you are not doing it”.

My answer: expect greatness. Wow.

It brings me to tears just to type that. Why is that so hard for me to expect great things for myself?

William Carey the great Christian Missionary had the following as the motto for his life: “Expect great things from God. Attempt great things for God.”

I have no idea what God has in store. Advancing to the next level could be it. Just having the gumption to enter could be it. Nonetheless, this time, I am going to expect greatness.

Knowing God as I do, He will use my advancement or even just my entering to draw people close to him.

Voting ends tomorrow at 12 noon Mountain time. Please be so kind as to give me your vote by going HERE.

Thank you so much!