What does a dream look like when God has sent it? He brings it to life! I’m here to tell you it is a beautiful, beautiful ride if you are able to have a front row seat and watch things unfold.
Wind the clock back almost 20 years to 2006. A small group of fumbling, but passionate, believers met in the downstairs of then, Westlake Church, with some delicious homemade lasagna and a bounty of prayers – all gathered to hear about a dream that was laid on someone’s heart…to bring a former National Teacher of the Year to Knoxville, TN. Amy Crawford had a burning dream that we needed this inspirational man to come and share with educators and people of influence in the life of a child how to be “Jesus with skin on” for the young people placed in their life.
Where was the speaker’s fee going to come from? None of us were proficient at fund raising. And, if by some miracle, God provided the funding – where on earth would we hold it? Who would even come?
I was a first-hand witness to the blessing that was to come from truly watching God work in some of the most unlikely ways to bring this event to life for our city – this dream was not a crazy pipe dream – but could ONLY be from Him.
Not too long after our meeting, that middle school teacher went to the mailroom at her school to retrieve the usual things in her box …but on this day, there was a cashier’s check for the exact amount to cover Guy’s speaker’s fee – $3.000.00! The memo line read For: His Purpose
The stub attached read as follows:
Dear Amy,
We believe the Lord intends to reflect a part of His glory through you and your heart for
His children. By His hand, He has periodically allowed us to be a vessel through which His resources
are transferred. This is accomplished in the form of a cashier’s check so that there is no question but
that the gift is from Him – to you. Whether these resources are for Guy Dowd, or whatever else you feel He leads you to pursue, trust His purposes. He loves you very much.
That was the beginning of a magnificent journey that I was so blessed to be a part of! Venues opened, sponsors came, blessings were poured out, and fires were lit under that little group of people who joined in the dream…and man, what a ride it was going to be!
I invite others who have been part of this two-decade journey to share their memories about how they too were inspired to get involved.