Memphis Part One

My Memphis blog is going to cover the good, the bad, and the ugly...

The night before heading to Memphis, I felt God ask that I pray. My spirit wanted to pray but my flesh was so exhausted. I got up earlier to pack a few more things and left my apartment and headed to LaGuardia Airport. Personally, my absolute favorite airport.

I felt God all morning during that cab ride. Even now as I am writing this, I was moved the entire morning. My eyes watered. God had confirmed time and time again there was something for me in Memphis. I thought to myself that I had to keep my expectations low and to guard my heart.

"Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it" - Proverbs 4:23

All while being excited and receptive to what God was trying to do.

I was and am burntout due to work and wish this was strictly leisure but it won't be and that is fine... I guess.

As I entered the airplane, I purchased my ticket to economic class and it was an aisle seat. God did a thing. He did a thing. As I walked toward my seat, a flight attendant asked if I was Maria Santana. I responded, yes. She told me to go to seat 9BC. As I walked toward it, I saw it was spacious and it wasn't first class but it wasn’t economy. It was Delta Airline Comfort Class. Me? For me! I was shocked and grateful because He works like that. For He can do exceedingly, abundantly more than we can ask, say or think.

I am grateful to be here because God wanted me here. I am so grateful to Him for being in Memphis. I have been here a few hours with very little sleep and already the southerners were being so hospitable and friendly and nice.

I am not sure if I disclosed this in a previous post but I volunteered for two things from the American Christian Fiction Writers Conference: to write devotionals that were going to countdown the 40 days before the conference and the chorus. I got rejected for the devotionals because there were too many volunteers but got accepted into the choir.

The songs that were selected by the head of the choir were: I Speak Jesus by Charity Gayle Goodness of God by CeCe Winans Come Jesus Come by Unknown Artist.

I only knew Goodness of God by memory but not the other two. We had rehearsals and while singing, I learned I could hit high notes. I told the head of the choir, Shannon that I think I was a soprano. I was told that by my choir teacher in the 6th grade. I had not sung in front of a crowd since my time back in the 6th grade. That could be another story for another day. I was 11 years old and am doing it again at 38! I was not nervous and I looked confidently at the crowd as I sang "I Speak Jesus" before officially opening the conference and "Goodness of God" before the luncheon the following day.

I received many compliments but I always gave Jesus all of the glory.

Little did I know that the trip was the beginning of life lessons but will be writing about that in Part Two and possibly a Part Three.