“God gave us the ability to take action because he wants us to freely move forward rather than him forcing our steps. … God can handle the big. When you start out, it’s okay for your part to simply be the small.”
I surprise myself sometimes with how satisfied I am with my ordinary life. I stay at home {well, you know what I mean …} with two kids. My season of motherhood changed some when my daughter started kindergarten five months ago and my son started preschool at the same time, which was a year earlier than I had planned to send him. Even on the hard days when the questions are endless and I wish my 3-year-old boy noticed his dirty diapers and cared about the potty, I wouldn’t trade this life.
Yes, that surprises me sometimes. This isn’t what I planned for myself.
But it’s here, in this surprise place of motherhood that I’ve gotten to know God in a way I hadn’t experienced before, realized what I value most, built friendships that have sustained me, and learned big things happen in small moments.
And it’s here I’ve met my God-sized dreams and mission: I believe God has created and called me to communicate stories from my own life and others’ lives for families to know God as the author and creator of every detail through writing, promoting and serving.
The asterisk that goes with my mission statement is I want to serve my family first. I want to be a wife and mother before I’m a writer, creator, and promoter.
Yet, still, while serving my family this week, I’ve still managed to hear God encourage my dreams and give me opportunities to take small steps when I wasn’t changing diapers, packing lunches, making dinner, grocery shopping, going to a doctor’s appointment, driving carpool, and running errands. It was in these ordinary moments that I was reminded dreams will get derailed if I don’t act — even in small ways — now because the time will never be perfect. I can always come up with reasons to wait. But ignoring God’s nudges is no way to spend my time.
On that note, I heard Mat Kearney’s “Never Be Ready” on the radio this week. See, I’m telling you, God is in the details: We’ve got our fee on the wire, talking ’bout flying/Maybe we’re diving in over our heads/Scared of what I’m feeling/Staring at the ceiling here tonight/Come on lay down these arms, all our best defenses/We’re taking our chances here on the run/The fear is an anchor, time is a stranger/Love isn’t borrowed, we aren’t promised tomorrow/We’ll never be ready if we keep waiting/For the perfect time to come/Won’t be steady, we’ll never be ready {From “Never Be Ready” by Mat Kearney}
Take a listen ..
How is God moving in your dreams? What steps are you taking to follow him?
I wish alot that I could be MORE content.
It's been a long time coming to contentment. I still have stressful, hard days, but I don't want to be anywhere else and I don't find myself wishing I was doing something different than mothering. I think having some non-mothering projects helps keep me sane!
Kristin, you are living your God-sized dream in your everyday life and that's beautiful and extraordinary. I love it. If there was an applause button on here, I'd sure push it. 🙂
Thank you, Holley, for this specific encouragement and the way you're living you God-sized dreams in a way that affects so many women and their families, including me.