My heart beats a bit faster. Just breathe, Sarah.
Doubts clutter my thoughts. Have faith, Sarah.
I feel tension in my shoulders. Relax, Sarah.
My head begins to ache. Take a moment to pray, Sarah.
I feel unprepared, under-equipped and unworthy of the task that lies before me.
But I know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that this is exactly where I am supposed to be.
In this moment of doubt and uncertainty, I choose to follow Jesus out of my comfort zone and into the great unknown.
ARTICLE BY: Sarah Koontz, Founder of Living by Design Ministries
My two little girls are growing like weeds. They are quite tall for their age, but with a 6’2’’ dad and a 5’8’ mom, I doubt they will slow down any time soon.
I always know when they are on the verge of a growth spurt.
“Mom, I’m tired.”
“Mom, I’m hungry.”
“Mom, my knees hurt.”
Increased fatigue, hunger and pain are hallmark signs of an impending growth spurt.
At the age of 33, physical growth spurts are a thing of the past for me. I honestly feel like I’m beginning to shrink. Of course, that might also be because of my recent boycott of high heels.
Seriously…why??? Why would a woman choose to put a 3-inch stick on her heel and walk around on it?
But that’s another conversation for another day.
Back to this whole growth spurt thing. I may be done growing physically but I have recently experienced a spiritual growth spurt. And I have discovered that the symptoms are eerily similar.
Fatigue. Hunger. Pain.
Often my children don’t know they are growing. They just know they are tired, hungry and achy.
That’s exactly how I felt during my spiritual growth spurt.
The first symptom was overwhelming fatigue with the current condition of my heart. I was simply tired of being stagnant, lukewarm, comfortable.
The second symptom of my spiritual growth spurt was an increased hunger for the things of God.
I found myself longing for more of Him in every aspect of my life, and my hunger was rarely satisfied even though I was spending far more time studying the Bible and praying than normal.
Sound familiar, moms? Growing kids are never satisfied, are they?
The final symptom was pain. Full on, straight up, unadulterated pain. When God began breaking down strongholds in my life, it felt like He was taking a sledgehammer to my soul.
The fact that all of these things were happening in unison overwhelmed and exhausted me.
The only way to get through was to shift the focus off my discomfort and onto God.
Oh, and maybe complain a bit…
You know, just like my growing children do.
I love the quote by JG Holland: “God never said it would be easy, He just said He would go with me.”
When I decided to pursue my dreams of becoming a Christian Living Writer, I was not prepared for the overwhelming sense of responsibility I would feel each time I penned a spiritual truth.
How could I encourage you to break free from the Affirmation Trap if I was still entwined myself?
How could I beckon you to let go of the mommy guilt when I was secretly stashing my own under the couch cushions?
How could I challenge you to answer God’s call on your life if I wasn’t faithfully committed to doing the same?
Following Jesus is difficult, growing is painful, and leading others is, quite frankly, a profoundly humbling experience.
God never said it would be easy, He just said He would go with me. JG HollandThis. Is. Not. Easy.
I take my writing very seriously because it is so much more than a hobby or a job.
It is my ministry, my yes to God, my calling.
If I must grow in order to inspire growth in others, then Lord, please grow me.
If I must hurt in order to heal the pain in your heart, then Lord, bring on the pain.
If I must, so that you can…then Lord, so be it!
God never said it would be easy, He just said He would go with me.
Every time I sit down to write, every time I prepare to teach Bible study, every time I stand up and speak to a group of people,
I feel…
fear, doubt, uncertainty.
I choose to…
breathe, trust, pray.
I believe…
God will go with me.
And every single time, He has proven himself faithful.
Every single time, God has done more than I could have ever asked or imagined.
God never said it would be easy, He just said He would go with me.
Are you ready to answer Jesus’ call to “Come with Me”? To go where He leads, do what He asks, be who He created you to be?
I am.
And I would love for you join me…
It’s sure to be an adventure!
This article was inspired by Suzie Eller’s newest book!
Come With Me: Discovering the Beauty of Following Where He Leads is available for pre-order today! In fact, it’s 36% off retail price on almost every online distributor.
I have been blessed to receive an advanced reader’s copy of this book, and it is TRANSFORMATIVE!
It will be in stores on May 3rd, but you don’t have to wait. Download a FREE chapter today.
