Becky Crenshaw

I could have kicked my shoe off and hit her chair.  I was that close to Keynote speaker, Lysa Terkeurst.

My friend, Beth and I wanted to sit front and center the first night of She Speaks 2013.  So we scurried our wedge Tom’s to the front of the ball room and sat our bags and Bibles on the closest table we could grab.  Giddy as could be, we claimed the next best thing, the table behind Keynote speaker and Proverbs 31 Ministries President, Lysa TerKeurst.  Author of Made to Crave, Lysa.  Author of Unglued, Lysa.

I am a fan.  A certified, card-carrying, fanatical fan of Lysa TerKeurst.

I looked over to my left and gasp, there she sat.  Dressed in a jazzed, aqua blouse,  white pants,  heels, adorable hair, manicured nails.  THE Lysa TerKeurst.

I leaned into Beth, “Do you know who that is?”  I nodded Lysa’s way.  “That’s Lysa!  Oh my goodness!  I want to go meet her!  I want to tell her I am praying for her and that she will do great tonight!  Eeek! But maybe I should wait.  I don’t want to be a distraction.”

Speaking to 750+ people, I am sure she didn’t want to be bothered by a bouncy-blonde from Knoxville.  But I just wanted to touch her.  And pray for her.  And, of course, get a picture for Instagram.

But I refrained.  Instead I snapped pictures from my chair.  Several of them as a matter of fact.

During worship, I watched her from the corner of my eye.  Only imagining what was running through her mind before she stood to speak.  With raised hands she worshiped along, she smiled and talked to her friend on the right.  Lysa!  I was so giddy!

After Michael O’Brian led us through four songs of rockin’ worship, he announced Lysa.  Told of her background and asked us all to give a warm welcome to author and founder of Proverbs 31 Ministries….LYSA TERKEURST!

We all clapped and roared!  And I sat with my front seat view, waiting for Lysa to stand and make her way up center stage.

But she never did.

Not that Lysa, anyway.

Because the real  Lysa TerKeurst came out from behind back stage and took her place at the appointed podium.

Oh. My. Gosh.  Can you imagine how Beth and I were rolling at my mistake.  I have to confess, the girl looked just like Lysa.  So much so that I was taking pictures of her and inklings away from laying hands on her in prayer.

I thought back to how I admired this girl, this not-Lysa-Turkuerst-girl,  worshipping her Father in heaven and how I was captivated by her love for Jesus.  She was beautiful to watch.  With each lyrical note, I saw her heart unfold right there before her Lord.

She was not Lysa TerKeurst.  To my knowledge, this girl has never published a best-selling book, nor was she Keynote at She Speaks 2013.  I don’t even know her name.  But the Lord does.  He knows every hair on her head.  He knows her coming and her going.  And is equally enthralled with her as He is the other… the real Lysa Terkurst.

You are altogether beautiful, my love; there is no flaw in you. Song of Solomon 4:7

Just as King Solomon is enthralled with the beauty of his Shulammite bride, so was the Lord enthralled with this woman sitting front and center, singing songs unto Him.

He was enthralled with me.  And with Beth.  And with all of the rest of us that night, too.

So is He enthralled with you, sitting right where you are. Bathrobe and all.

He is taken back by you. His glorious child.  His stunning creation.

I walked up to that girl afterwards and told her the whole story.  I told her, too, that I got several great pictures of her on my phone and that she almost got a laying on of hands by me before her “big talk.”

Come to find out, I was the third person who told her she looked like Lysa.

Lucky.

But irregardless… she is just as magnificent to Jesus.

And so are you.

If Jesus had Instagram, He’d be taking pictures of you, too.

Even better, he just went ahead and bore the cross. That’s how crazy He is about you.

Go on now, raise your hands in worship today.  He is watching you and is completely enthralled with your beauty.