If you’ve ever wondered what God wants you to be doing with your life, you’re reading the words of a woman who has polished that question more times than imaginable. It was easy when I was raising kids. I knew my mandate was to be the best mom I could be. I was focussed on my work at hand and the daily calling of pouring into the lives of my two daughters. God faithfully led me through that wild season of cultivation and heart-expanding growth. But the minute my girls flew the nest—truthfully, even a few years before in anticipation of it—I began asking God what was next on the agenda.
I had imagined some grand step forward artistically. After all, I had been doing graphic design independently for over thirty years. But instead, as I prayed and watched and waited for God to reveal His plan for me, I heard no such revelation. Rather, I found myself needed in one situation after another—a daughter who suddenly developed chronic illness—a mom who suffered a devastating stroke—a husband who needed heart surgery—another daughter with four kids who broke her elbow. Each time these events unfolded, I was uniquely positioned to come alongside with open hands and grateful to have the time to do so. Still, every time my season of nurturing came to an end, I would ask, “What now, God?”
“God often chooses to slow us down so we can take a breath. And wait. ”
It’s funny how we want to hurry God along with His answers. We’d all like to open our mailbox one morning to a handwritten note with the black-and-white sovereign response we had been waiting for. But God usually doesn’t operate that way (please notify me if you received such a mailing—I’d love to do the happy dance with you!). Instead, God often chooses to slow us down so we can take a breath. And wait. Sometimes because we’re not ready for the answer. Sometimes because He wants us to lean in closer and listen more intently to Him. And sometimes because His perfect plan and timing is unfolding in ways we can’t even begin to comprehend.
Waiting can be hard. It can feel like a lonely wilderness, as we struggle to tame our restless desire for answers. And waiting can take much longer than we feel we can bare. But if we can quiet our thoughts and set aside our own timetables, we realize that we are never alone in our deserts of waiting. God is with us and attentive to our needs—even as we wait. He hears our prayers. He knows our hearts. He is constantly working for our good. And although His answers may not arrive in our mailbox, the Bible—His Word— is filled with one love letter after another chalked full of life-giving direction meant specifically for us.
Now in this current season of my life, after years of waiting and countless prayerful conversations, I have sensed a distinctly new nudge from God to take the nurturing I learned as a mother and the care-giving I learned through experience and pour that into written words as an offering of encouragement to anyone who will read it. This charge came gradually through patience to God’s prompting and I hope to respond in a way that honors Him and serves you in the process. Like any new endeavor, it’s both exciting and intimidating. But, I am grateful for a lamp at my feet and am confident that God will provide the light for the journey ahead.
Whether we are in a season of new endeavors or one of wilderness waiting, God is always present and moving in our lives. His direction is worth waiting for. His timing is worthy of our trust. And when He leads, we must be ready to follow with full abandon.
It is with an open heart I step briskly onto this path…
“I will advise you along the way and lead you forth with my eyes as your guide.” —Psalm 32:8