Y’all, I’m so excited I can hardly contain myself. I grin every time I think about it. At the recent American Christian Fiction Writers conference, I met one of my heroes.

My trip to Nashville for the conference got off to a rocky start. The plane was delayed out of Dallas. I almost missed the last shuttle of the evening to the hotel (I called the hotel and they were able to reach the driver to ask him to wait, thank goodness). Then when I went to pick up my conference registration packet–there wasn’t one for me. It turned out to be a computer glitch which some wonderful ACFW volunteers sorted out. I went to bed that night wondering a) what else was going to wrong and b) if I was really supposed to be there.

In the morning, my husband, Skip and I were up bright and early. I packed my briefcase with the handouts for the workshops I’d be attending, my conference schedule, and the book I prayed I could get autographed by the keynote speaker, Debbie Macomber. Some of you reading may know who she is, but in case you don’t, Debbie Macomber is a best-selling author with millions of books in print. She is best known for her Cedar Cove series, which Hallmark adapted for television. Hallmark has also made some of her Christmas books into movies, most notably Mrs. Miracle. While I’ve read and enjoyed her fiction, it is her non-fiction books that mean the most to me. I keep her book about pursuing your God-given dreams, Knit Together in the bookcase beside my writing desk. I refer to it often when I need encouragement (and when I need a kick in the pants). This was the book that I hoped to ask Debbie to sign. I didn’t know if I’d get the opportunity, especially after all the things that hadn’t gone right so far, but I was ready, just in case.

Skip and I lingered over our coffee, until it was time to head to our first workshop. As we walked down the sidewalk toward the conference area, I recognized the woman coming toward us as, you guessed it, Debbie Macomber.

“Oh! Oh! It’s you!” I gasped. “Skip, it’s–”

“I know!” he said.

She smiled at us and graciously stopped to chat, sign my book, take a picture with me (and gave me permission to post it!).

Meeting Debbie Macomber was the miracle I needed to turn my doubts and fears around. She’s such a positive person that’s it’s hard to feel discouraged around her. More than that, however, it was like a reassuring pat on the shoulder from God, as if He was saying, “Yes, you are supposed to be here. Now, quit fretting and go learn stuff!”
I went on to have a wonderful conference, learning from such seasoned writers as Frank Peretti, Angela Hunt, and Liz Curtis Higgs. When I pitched the book, an editor asked me to send her the full manuscript and a proposal (for those not familiar with book pitching, it’s not about throwing things. It’s a bit like speed-dating–15 minutes to present your book in hopes that the agent or editor will want to see more of it}. The worship touched me deeply, helping me to let go of an old regret and to embrace a new and deeper relationship with God.

I keep going back to that first morning, when I was filled with doubt, but packed that book into my briefcase anyway, “just in case.” Because of that small act of hope, I was ready to meet “Mrs. Miracle,” my miracle, when she came walking down the sidewalk toward me. What small act of hope can you take with you today so you will be ready if this is the day the hoped-for opportunity comes your way?