another year, another momcon
Last year our daughter Meredith and I manned a booth at the Mothers of Preschoolers (MOPs) convention (MOMcon) in Nashville to sell her book. It was undoubtably the most beautiful booth in the marketplace, but that didn’t translate into actual sales. We learned a lot about location and price points. She networked and met some helpful people. When we learned that this year MOMcon would be in Southern California where Meredith hoped to line up speaking engagements with MOPs groups, we decided to go back and find a way to raise her visibility.
This year she scheduled herself as a workshop speaker and was able to snag one of the most prominent booth locations. She now has three devotional books, two Bible studies and a prayer journal, all available on Amazon. But on the eve of our departure for the event, things were looking discouraging. MOPs had placed her session on the roof of the hotel, during a heatwave. It was almost impossible to find, and there would be no way for her to use her Powerpoint. We enlisted our friends to pray for all the details. If five people were to show up to her workshop, then please make them the right five people, Lord...people who would be interested in having her speak to their groups back home.
After setting up her booth with the ever-essential help of my son’s wife Kimberly, who is a designer/party planner extraordinaire, we went off for a meal and bed. But before we left the hall, Meredith found her most encouraging and supportive contact Paulie to ask about a venue change. Paulie agreed that a sweltering rooftop was not ideal and promised a move by the next morning. Still, would anyone find her? Would anyone want to?
As the conference opened, ladies came by, excited about Meredith’s presentation, telling her that they had already circled her event and would be there at 3 PM. And they scooped up devotionals. In one morning, we sold more books than we did at the whole conference last year. It turns out that busy moms love a bargain. If we could undercut the current Amazon price, they wanted to get it now.
At 2:30 we made our way up to the conference room where Meredith was to present. It was quite large. The small crowd we expected (Oh, you of little faith!) would look pretty silly with all those empty seats around them. But by the time that Meredith was to start, every seat was filled, they were bringing in chairs and surpassed the fire code capacity. 158 women were there to hear her. She was at ease and funny and so insightful, and the women came up in droves afterward, both in the room and back at our booth, telling her how helpful her topic was.
God is full of surprises. We fuss and fret and assume that no matter how he has worked in our lives before, this time he is going to let us fall flat on our faces. And all the while he must be laughing, because he has already moved out ahead of us to bless. If we were too confident, we wouldn’t need to pray at all. And more than our success, God loves the conversation. Success or disappointment, God can move in close to teach us more about himself. Let us mine both experiences for the blessing and growth that God gives when we seek Him first.
“Cast your cares on the Lord, and he will sustain you.” Psalm 55:22
Love, Liz
P.S. One more weekend God-wink: After the last session, after we had broken down and packed away our booth, Meredith and I drove to a neighboring town for a nice dinner to celebrate the answered prayers. As we sat at the bar, the only spot available without a reservation, two young women sat next to us. One of them turned to Meredith and said that she had attended her presentation at the conference, and that it was the single most helpful event of the whole weekend. We had a lovely meal talking to these gals from North Carolina, answering questions and learning about their lives.
What are the chances that away from the conference site we would meet one of 158 women who had heard Meredith’s talk? What affirmation! We cannot out-give God! We can only try to walk faithfully in the path we see and trust in the way that opens before us that only God can know.
Books by Meredith Barnes available on Amazon:
All the Time: Daily Devotions Finding Faith in the Everyday Moments
College Survival Guide for Christian Women
Morning Devotional for Teen Girls
Jonah: The Welcoming Love of God
Live Free: A Galatians Bible Study
In His Hands Prayer Journal for Women
