A Little Peek Behind the Scenes…

Just briefly, we thought you might be interested in knowing that we took Dear Princess to a home schooling conference in late August.

Neither Abigail or I ever had the slightest thought to go to something like this, but the Lord worked to make it possible and He burdened our hearts to go.

Early in August we were sent an announcement about a home schooling fair near us. Included was another announcement about an upcoming conference in Beaverton (roughly an hour and a half away).

Abigail and I were interested in getting more information about the conference and had the thought of possibly taking Dear Princess. However, we still had to talk with the parents, hear their wisdom and thoughts and likely concerns.

In the meantime, while we were discussing all this, the Spinkses attended the home schooling fair near them. There they talked to the director of the Beaverton conference, asking how much a table would cost and all the details.

One of our concerns about going was the cost. Where would we get all the money to rent a table?

Abigail called and shared how we put Dear Princess out free, and wondered whether we’d be able just to get a small table versus an 8’ table. The directors said they’d think it over and let us know. The following day we sent them a copy of Dear Princess and waited….

At this point, Abigail and I put a fleece before the Lord. We asked the Lord to provide a table free if it was His will for us to go; we were consecrated to do whatever He saw best.

—Skye

For about two weeks all we heard was a deafening silence, and I, especially, began to have doubts as to whether this idea of taking Dear Princess to a conference was simply Skye’s and mine, not the Lord’s. It seemed I could not get rid of the thought, and spent my days placing Dear Princess back in the hands of God (where it belongs), and consecrating the conference and our participation in it to the Lord.

It seemed the devil tried harder than I’d ever experienced to get me to doubt God’s sovereignty. Questions like: Why wouldn’t God not want us to go? Really, I mean, doesn’t this need to get out to people? God would gently remind, “Yes, my child, but I am the One who will get it out and in My timing, wait on Me.”

When I finally learned this seemingly hard lesson, God worked, and on Saturday, August 15, we received a letter telling us that we could have a table for free. God had provided the way and showed us His will clearly, which left us without any doubt, but what now? How many issues to take? Where was the money going to come from to print these issues? While these questions and many more filled us, I was reminded more than once of the scripture, “Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain.”* (Psalm 127:1) Lord, this is not something we are trying to build up; if this is of You, You will have to “build” it. And He did. Looking back, I see so many places where this would not have worked, normally. Money came, other needs were supplied, and it became clear that this was something we were not doing in our own strength. Finally the day arrived for the conference and with a few nervous and fluttering stomachs (“Ah, what do I say?!”), we departed. We had the opportunity to meet many new people, quite a few whom we now welcome as subscribers.

The Lord richly blessed—praise the Lord, His ways are best. Oh, God help us to cease our struggling to see and know and understand. For Your ways are higher than our ways, Your path more precious than ours could ever be.

—Abigail