When God says, “Lay it Down”
We all have a word. Maybe you don’t have a word. Instead, you have a thought, a goal, or a dream. You might not be a New Year’s resolution type, but we all want more for our lives. My word for 2018 is expectant. I …
Tag: plan
Top Ten: How do you know you are following God’s plan for your life?
Have you ever questioned whether you were on the right path? Do you wish God would come down, sit next to you, and tell you your life plan? You have your map all laid out and then the road starts to curve. Better yet, there’s …
The Room
When we first decided we were going to move to Texas twelve years ago, my husband and I hopped on a plane and flew to the Lone Star state to check it out. We’d drive the communities we were interested in and begin planning and dreaming. We came across a little sleepy town just north of Dallas. My husband loved it. This girl? Well, I was a little apprehensive. You see, coming from Southern California, I was used to having neighbors and everything at my discretion. I was worried about the traffic I would encountered trying to get to Target on the two-lane country road and that I would be lonely because I would have cows instead of people for neighbors. Little did I know that we would eventually move to that little sleepy town.
After settling down and creating roots in Texas, we decided to move again. We needed something different; something that fit our family at this stage of life. I remember we would drive around before our date nights trying to find that perfect neighborhood. We kept coming back to the one with the lake. I mean, what boy wouldn’t love a lake and dirt trails to play in? It was perfect for our family. We walked the model home a few times and while my husband bought the house for the lot, I loved two things about the house: the playroom was tucked away upstairs (Say goodbye to hearing noisy boys 24/7) and this little sitting room right off the master.
Oh, I had BIG dreams for that little room. And dreams they were. Who was I thinking that I would ever use that room given the fact that I had a 2, 3, and 6 year old at the time, let alone sit down? I loved that room. It was mine. And after sharing my body and my space with so many boys for so long, I was ready to have something all my own; even if that meant I never sat there.
Flash forward a few years and the boys were finally in school. I found myself sitting in that room a little more. I’d sit and read, do my Bible study, and take a quick snooze on the little love seat. Anything to get in that space. There was something magical when I was in there. Maybe it was a place where I could finally breath. A place that was girly and held my visions. Little did I know, this room was going to be a place where I launched a dream.
It’s funny how God starts stirring in your soul way back when and you had no idea He was even working in that moment. When we decided to build this model, that little sitting room was a sweet dream coming to life. I could see all my visions pinned to a board in the closet space. This room was a nod to opportunity for me even though I had no idea what that opportunity was.
Here I sit, five years later, in that little sitting room. Dreams have been birthed in this space. Tears shed. Passions launched into reality. I walk by my room, look inside, and sigh. God knew all along. He knew before we broke ground and put up the walls what this space would hold for me. He saw my dream before it was planted in my soul and He gave me this space to discover it.
Anytime I feel discouraged in this process, I remember the room. I remember that He saw what was to come for me before I even gave light to the idea. He spoke something in me before it was even a thought on my radar. He has great plans for me and that little room. I know because I am living it.
He has great plans for you, too. Plans you cannot envision for yourself today because it is not time for them to be revealed. Remember all those years ago I thought I would never sit in that space. The life before me during that time did not permit it. Motherhood to three babies called for my attention instead. He knew, however, and He saw what I couldn’t see. I was blinded by diapers and potty training and trips to and from preschool. I was busy and distracted in that season, all the while, God was preparing a place, that room, for me to live out a dream. He’s doing the same for you. Don’t lose hope.
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11
Love & Blessings,
Meg
FLASHBACK FRIDAY: JUMP
FLASHBACK FRIDAY: A year ago this August, I came to terms with my fears and jumped. I decided to chase a dream instead of pursuing what felt safe. Was I scared? Absolutely! Did I want to run in the opposite direction? Yep. Sure did. I …
My Whole Life. My Whole World.
FLASHBACK FRIDAY: A Post on Motherhood to Celebrate All The Mamas Out There Ten years ago my husband and I loaded everything we owned into a moving van. We strapped our 15-month old into his car seat and headed 3,000 miles east to plant new …
The Plan
I was sitting on my little couch getting ready to send out an email when I noticed the banner ad. It caught my attention immediately because it spurred excitement way down in my soul. The ad was for seminary. Now, some of you are like, “How on earth does an ad for school excite you?” Look, I am a forever student at heart. Academics excites me. What can I say?
I began filling out the (intense) application. I couldn’t answer one of the questions so I called my husband for help. He was on his way home from a business trip totally unaware of my crazy idea to head back to school in the fall. He picked up the phone and I immediately asked the question catching him totally off-guard. I told him what I was doing after getting a confused response. He asked me to wait until he got home before I hit send so we could have a conversation about this little endeavor of mine.
He arrived home soon after our chat and joined me on my tiny love seat in my office. We chatted about school, the whys, the hows, all the things. Then, he looked at me and said something that I will never forget. He said, “I don’t think this is what you really want to do. I think this is the easy predictable route. Think on it before you jump in.” Of course, I cried (If you know me, you know that this is not a surprise). And then, in that moment, a dream was launched. I knew I would have to put myself out there in a way I had never done before and that terrified me. As I sat on that little couch feeling the warmth of the August sun beaming through the window onto my back, I knew it was time; time to launch a dream.
I started out working on my craft and getting it out there. However, I stayed in my safe space. A couple months passed and I hadn’t really stepped out yet. Then, I went to a conference that completely changed the trajectory of my mission. It blew everything out of the water and me out of my comfort zone. I felt exposed. I felt scared. I felt excited.
I changed my focus and started having fun. So much fun. I made new goals and jumped on the train to follow this new lead. Of course I prayed, but, I still had my ideas, my plans, my vision. I thought I was bringing it to God, but, in reality, I was bringing Him my stuff not coming to Him ready to receive His. This was a one-way street from me to Him. He put this desire in my heart, I thought, so He will bless this road.
And then I sat.
And sat.
And sat.
Things happened and moved but man, did they move ever so slowly. I didn’t feel like it was growing the way it should have. Slow and steady wins the race was not my jam. I was stuck.
I recently realized that I was going about this all wrong. Yes, I was focused on “the one” and not the crowd. I knew in my heart that if my words helped one woman find freedom, find Jesus, it was all worth it. But, I was not doing it right. I was taking all my hopes, dreams, purposes, and designs to God telling Him to bless it instead of going to God asking what He wanted me to do with this grand scheme. My plan was background and I was hitting a wall because of it.
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11 (emphasis mine)
I have had Jeremiah 29:11 memorized since I became a Christian in high school. It is inscribed on the Bible my dad gave me for high school graduation. This verse has always given me hope. However, it wasn’t until adulthood that I really understood what God was saying. While He’s telling us that He does have a plan for us, He does not tell us that this plan will come to fruition this side of Heaven. All the blood, sweat, and tears we put into His plan for our lives will lead to something amazing. We just might not see it. I think of Moses not seeing his promised land until he got to Heaven and saw it from there. This verse also reminds me that it is HIS PLAN not mine. His. For so long, I got this wrong. I took the desires within me, molded them into my vision, and presented them before Him telling Him to bless it. That’s not the way it works. Not one bit.
The moment I changed my focus from bringing my hopes, dreams, and purposes to God asking Him to bless them to asking for guidance from Him for what is on His heart for me, I was free. Free of striving. Free of feeling disappointment. Free of comparison. Free of the pressure to make this into something all on my way. I let go of all the pressures to grow this ministry because that pressure is not mine. That pressure is His. I was relieved from the frustrations that things were taking too long or not moving in the right direction. My job is NOT to make this dream work. My job is to take one step at a time in obedience. His job is to bless it (or let it go, if that’s His plan).
Take the pressure off yourself today. You were never meant to carry that burden. Know that if God placed something in your heart, all you are required to do is take a step in obedience. He will work out the details. He will make it grow. He will shut it down if this isn’t for you. Our job isn’t to manipulate the situation to make it work out. Our job is to follow His lead in the direction we should go.
Be free today.
Free of the pressure to perform.
Free to make something grow faster than it was intended to grow.
Free from the burden that you aren’t doing enough.
He is your enough.
Be free.
Love & Blessings,
Meg
