We are so excited to introduce you to Debbie Floyd today. Debbie is the Women’s Enrichment Ministry Leader at Grove Avenue Baptist Church in Richmond, Va., and a good friend of the Lifeway Women team.
A life interrupted? I chuckle as I say it because this describes my life pretty well. Yet even I was surprised when God used Jonah’s story to capture my attention, call me to serve in women’s ministry, and bring Priscilla Shirer to my home church.
We often quote Romans 8:28 saying, “All things work together for the good…,” but we rarely see the extraordinary measures God uses to fulfill His purpose. Yes, even the interruptions!
This current chapter of my story actually began 45 years ago when my parents served as missionaries in South America. As a young preteen, I met a girl about my age named Lois Cannings. Lois could sing like an angel, and she had a heart after God. Lois was in the youth group my parents led in our home in Guyana, South America. Lois was a natural leader and God used her life to share His story. When my family returned to the United States, Lois stayed in touch.
In 2010, Lois visited my parents just about the time I was beginning my very first Priscilla Shirer Bible study – One in a Million. The timing was surprising because Lois Cannings Evans is Priscilla Shirer’s mom.
At the time, I wondered what God was up to and how He might use this thread of my story for His purpose. I remembered the different generations of women God had used in my life – my mom, Lois and now her daughter, Priscilla. Each one was “one in a million” who chose obedience to God over everything else the world had to offer.
My next Bible study was Jonah: Navigating a Life Interrupted. This seemed like a safe choice for a preacher’s kid and a missionary kid who had moved eight times and lived in three countries before I was twelve-years-old. Interruptions were my life, and I seldom accepted them willingly or joyfully. Yet with each move, God placed godly women in my life who showed me what it looked like to choose His plan over my own. As I watched God’s plan unfold in the life of Jonah, I knew God was calling me to do something out of my comfort zone. He was leading me into ministry serving women.
The story came full circle when God unexpectedly opened an opportunity for my church to host Priscilla Shirer Live. It has been a joy to see the marvelous work of the Lord, and I know He is still writing this chapter of my story.
God works in incredible ways! I can’t wait to see what He is going to do in the lives of women around the world as they discover the treasures in God’s Word on April 27 with Priscilla Shirer.
“Generation after generation stands in awe of Your work; each one tells stories of your mighty acts.” Psalm 145:4 (MSG)
If you’re not in the Richmond, Va. area, have no fear! This specific Priscilla Shirer Live event will be simulcasted. As long as you have an Internet connection, you can take part in this-one day event!