Jump

Did you ever have a dream? 

A few years ago I had a vision. I knew God put this dream in my heart. A desire to use my story to help other people. 

• I thought about it
• I talked about it 
• I prayed about it

Last summer, I got close to making it a reality. 

• I developed a website 
• I bought a domain name
• I researched and then researched some more
• I watched countless videos
• I even took some seminars 

But no matter how much I believed in the idea, no matter how much I believed God put this desire and idea in my heart, I didn't believe in myself. 

I knew I was a good mom. I could do that. I knew I was a good caretaker for the elderly. I could do that. I knew I was a good teacher. I could do that. What I couldn't do was anything that dealt with technology. The more research I did, the more confusing it became. I didn't want help from my family or friends. That would mean I would have to be vulnerable. That would mean opening myself up to criticism and critiquing. I could take that from someone I didn't know, but to face possible rejection from someone I loved was too difficult to entertain. 

But then it happened. I found myself amid an unexpected job loss. I was confused and sad and didn't understand why this was happening.  

And then it hit me. 

What I had been putting off for years, with the excuse that I simply didn't have the time to invest in because I was so busy, was suddenly the one thing I had lots of time to focus on. 

• Should I just ignore the fact that God gave me a gift in disguise? 
• Should I continue to put my pride before asking for help? 
• Should I put off longer what God asked me to do, even though I had truly run out of excuses? 

Of course, the answer was no. I could use this newfound time and replace it with a dream.  My dream.

Sometimes we get thrown a curveball. Sometimes two or three. Sometimes we are pelted with curveballs that seem like they are shooting out of a pitching machine that has malfunctioned. But guess what? 

God has a plan. 

He's not surprised by the unexpected. And we don't have to be afraid of the unknown. We may not know the future, but we do know Who holds it, and that is enough. It's enough for me. And I hope it's enough for you. 

I've turned a corner. I'm nervous. I'm scared. I'm unsure of what this will all look like as it unfolds, but I do know it's going to be a wild ride.

So, what is it that you're afraid of? What dream are you stuffing deep inside of you that is just waiting to begin? It may not seem like the perfect time, but God's timing IS perfect. 

Don't wait any longer. I can't, and you can't either. So, let's do this. Let's stand at that cliff and just jump. He'll catch us. Trust me! 

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 a hope and a future. 

Jeremiah 29:11