Recently, I went to see Jen Hatmaker (and other amazing women) speak on her Belong Tour. A major theme there was living out your purpose and embracing your gifts and passions. "Rock your purpose" they said. God was already stirring within me to "DO SOMETHING." This was the final "shove."
So what do I want to do? Jen said to, "pay attention to the gift you have, not the gift you want." (There goes singing and playing the guitar, dang it.) To pay attention to what makes you cry all the time and what makes your heart speed up. I have known all along that I have a heart for women, especially moms in this same child-rearing season as myself. I've never considered myself to have any outstanding talents, but I have always known that I genuinely care deeply about people. I am an encourager at heart. But what do I do with that passion?
This is where the devil comes in. He sees a passion brewing and a heart for Jesus and he means to discourage against that, all of it. He tells me, "You are not equipped. You didn't go to school for religious studies or anything remotely close. You don't have the education or knowledge needed to do ministry. Who are you to think you can do this? You are full of sin. You are certainly no model of motherhood or anything else." He says, "You don't have time. You are struggling to survive raising the three kids you have most days. You don't need to do anything else." He asks, "Where is this going to really lead? It's not going to make a difference." He tells me, "People are too busy. They don't have time to participate in something else." ETC. His whispers are never ending.
Thankfully, God's voice is stronger. My love for Him is greater. All through the bible, God uses ordinary people to carry out His purpose. All He needs is obedience. He can take a little obedience and work with it. God doesn't call the equipped, He equips the called.
1 Thessalonians 5:24 - "The One who calls you is faithful, and He will do it."
Jen also said in her talk, "You are not in charge of success - you are in charge of obedience. God can handle the outcome, and he is GREAT at outcomes." That really spoke to me and is really sticking with me. That takes the pressure off of me and allows me to trust Him, so that's what I'm going with.
She ended by encouraging us to "do the next right thing." So, that's what I'm doing. I don't really know where to start, but I'm going to trust God to take it where He wills. I hope that this facebook group (Knowing Him & Raising Them) will be a blessing to you. Since it was already somewhat established, I felt God calling me to it as a good place to start. I hope that we can join together as women and moms and encourage one another and build each other up. I hope you will grow in your faith if you desire. Some things I have in mind for the future of the group are to get you all involved. Maybe we can hear stories/wisdom/testimonies from each other. (Get ready, I might contact you to share your story!) A big dream I have for the group is an actual in-person meet-up. I'm not sure what exactly that looks like yet, but we'll see. :) This group is something small, but I think God can make something big come from it. I see the need, in our community, for something for women/moms. We don't have MOPS or other things that bigger cities do. I think there are so many of us out there yearning for more - more friendships, more Jesus, more support, etc. I want to do something about it. I want to live in a place where we are loving Jesus, making a difference and really doing something with that love, and living and enjoying life together along the way. I'm also hoping to start a group for women/moms/young families at my church. If you are local, maybe you can join in on that as well. Sharing all of this holds me accountable. I'm excited! Stay tuned!
And be thinking about YOUR purpose....
