The Call
Okay, first of all I want to apologize to anyone who receives my email feed. This system for scheduling posts is new, and I messed it up a few times trying to figure it out…and had no clue it would send each draft to you. Hope you got to read the post anyway! 🙂
Secondly, today is kind of like “official announcement day.”
On Friday, my husband left his job at a warehouse to pursue a career helping non-profits with creating, updating, and/or maintaining their computers and other technology efforts. He will also be serving individuals as well. So we are now officially without a full-time income.
As if that’s not scary enough, if you haven’t already figured it out from subtle hints on the site, I am leaving my part-time job at my church as late as March. I am currently training my replacement, and she learns so quickly that she may work me out of a job before March!
I spent a period of a couple months at the end of last year praying, fasting, and seeking wise counsel from friends, family, and mentors to determine if this was the path God wanted me to take. Circumstances and certain verses that showed up before me on many different occasions finally helped me to realize that, yes–I should pursue this. After all, it has been 12 years since I first heard the calling.
What exactly is “this?” What exactly is “the calling?”
About 12 years ago…actually it may be closer to 13 by now…I attended a Christian music festival that also offered many seminars. When the event was over, and I went home, I felt the gentle nudge of the Spirit telling me that I would be a public speaker one day. I’m not really the public speaking type, so…I kind of ignored it. And who knew it was the Spirit anyway?
About 3 years later, I was a business major in college…hating it. In a discussion with my stepmom, she asked what I really wanted to do. I’ve always loved writing, so of course I said I wanted to be a writer. So I changed my major to Professional Writing. Soon after that, I got pregnant. Anything I may have been dreaming of got put on hold.
Then about 5 years ago, I began writing an outline for a book. The topic brought to my heart was fear. But after talking to several individuals about where I felt God was leading me, I felt discouraged. I gave up. I put the outline to the side and later threw it away.
It was around September of last year that I started feeling the need to leave my job. It just happened to be the same time that my husband mentioned that he felt he should move forward with his computer business. “Well that’s stupid,” I thought to myself. “Why would I leave my job if my husband is leaving his? That just doesn’t make any sense.” So of course I ignored it for about a month or so.
But when it wouldn’t go away, I decided to pray on it. And fast. I knew fasting was a good way to get closer to the Lord and discern His will. Also during this process, I spoke to others about what they had done, how they had discerned God’s will, and what they thought of the things I was feeling. During this time, I recieved some encouragement, some criticism. But I came across many things in my reading and devotions that spoke of following God’s will, listening to His voice, and what happens when we disobey God’s call.
When I completed my fast, I knew what I needed to do but felt that Prince Charming’s support was imperative to my stepping out ono this path. When he finally told me that I have his support, I knew it was time. I put in my notice. I continue to pray each day for God’s provision, that we continue to walk the path He desires for us, and that His will would be made obvious to us.
Later this week, I’ll be posting a video that talks more about how we discern God’s will.
What is God calling you to do? How did you determine His calling?