Burn the Ships

God’s answers to our prayers rarely look how we imagine – they’re always better.

A leap of faith is always involved to show our trust in God. It wouldn’t be a leap of faith if everything were already secure.

When Jesus gathered His first disciples, He appeared, asking them to follow Him unquestionably. Can you imagine the courage and trust it took for them to leave their careers, the only way of life they knew, and their families? Still, without hesitation, Matthew records Jesus’ invitation, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men” (Matt. 4:19, English Standard Version, emphasis added), and their response, “Immediately they left their nets and followed Him” (v 20, emphasis added).

Jesus prayed for laborers for the harvest; God answered the prayer with the twelve apostles (Matt. 9:37-38).

We tend to make our plans, pray for God to make things go our way, and not recognize the opportunities God places in front of us. Yet, if we take the time to listen and pay attention, asking God what He wants for our lives – we are more open to whatever gifts He has for us – no matter how far off they are from our expectations. It can be scary to take the leap, but it is always worth it.

Each leap of faith brings us closer to God and His purpose for us – even if it doesn’t look like we thought. Years later, looking back, we can realize everything we have encountered has prepared us for this day. God even uses our painful experiences for His good and our blessing. A professor once said that every past pain is a key – which unlocks someone else’s heart.

If you had asked me five years ago what my goals were and where I thought I would be today, I would have had no way of perceiving everything that had transpired over the last year – or even the previous month. Still, here I am, a college graduate with a graduate certificate in pastoral counseling (something I never saw for myself), married to a wonderful, godly man who respects me, and most recently, the new office manager for our family business, The Higher Hands – Handyman.

We are true partners in each sense of the word, serving others through our ministries and work. I would not have received these blessings and gifts from God if I had held firm to my small ideas. God is full of surprises and massive plans that require me to depend on Him.

God always has a bigger plan and purpose for our lives.

As I reflect on my previous experiences, from my first job at a trucking company, fresh out of high school, as a payroll clerk and dispatcher to working for a non-profit – it paved the way for all the skills needed for my new position as well as the freedom to pursue my passion in helping abused women. Was it scary to quit my job of almost 20 years – you bet! But God…

When we break ourselves out of the box we find ourselves in – whether we put ourselves there or wake up there – and let God’s will for us prevail, we can burn the ships of our past and never look back. (Burn the Ships is my mantra this week – take a moment to listen).

Freedom = Joy. Joy is my word this year. God has undoubtedly showered me with it, along with His magnificent grace. I still make mistakes and am learning daily how to be a better wife, leader, listener, and daughter of the King, but just the fact that I have the opportunity is a miraculous feat in my book that only God gets the glory for.

What ships do you need to burn and allow God to lead?