Several years ago there was a commercial in which a husband casually mentioned quitting his job to start a blog and his wife quickly responded with a resounding NO! I would jokingly ask my husband if I could quit my job and start a blog and of course his answer was also no. It wasn’t that he didn’t want me to do something that I loved, but realistically, I needed to have a full-time paying job.

I started my blog anyway (while I continued to work) and began writing on a regular basis.  The feedback from those early days was a tremendous encouragement. 

Doors began to open, and I continued to write and continued to be encouraged. I even had a short story published in a friend’s book.

And then a few years later something happened. The publishing company that I worked for was doing some restructuring of departments, and what I had hoped was going to be a promotion was something entirely different and completely unexpected.

My position had been eliminated.

As hard as those words were to hear, I’m sure they were just as hard to say. At the time I thought that was the end of me — or at least the end of my dreams.

Isaiah 55:8 (MSG) “I don’t think the way you think. The way you work isn’t the way I work.” God’s Decree. “For as the sky soars high above earth, so the way I work surpasses the way you work, and the way I think is beyond the way you think. Just as rain and snow descend from the skies and don’t go back until they’ve watered the earth, doing their work of making things grow and blossom, producing seed for farmers and food for the hungry, so will the words that come out of my mouth not come back empty-handed. They’ll do the work I sent them to do, they’ll complete the assignment I gave them.

After I had some time to process, I realized that this could be an answer to prayer. Shortly after receiving the news about my job, I was asked to be a contributing writer for God-sized Dreams. While this was not a paid position, it was certainly an honor to have been asked to write alongside these amazing women. The door was opening to my God-sized Dream, and I couldn’t wait to see where He was leading me. I was doing what I loved. I was writing.

Gradually I became distracted by other things (good things) that started to consume my time, and writing was pushed aside.

Even as I contemplated writing this post, I wondered if I had anything to contribute, especially in light of this month’s theme — Practical tools you use that help keep you organized and motivated to work on your God-sized Dreams.

To be honest, I didn’t feel as though I had anything to share because I wasn’t using any practical tools. I certainly wasn’t organized, and I had been sorely lacking in motivation.

Here’s the thing — I’m not here to tell you what tools to use to succeed, I’m here to tell you that if you feel like you’ve failed (again), or missed the boat, or that your storm is too big and overwhelming — I am right there with you. I completely understand. And I want to motivate you to pursue your God-sized Dream again! Don’t give up, no matter how many times you’ve started over.  Your God-sized Dream is there for a purpose — for you and for others!

Just. Keep. Swimming.

You can do this. We can do this.

2 Chronicles 15:7 (NIV) But as for you, be strong and do not give up, for your work will be rewarded.

Those storms in our lives, the circumstances that we have no control over, the very situations that we think just might destroy us are oftentimes where we find our purpose. And our purpose becomes clearer as we begin sharing the stories of our storms and how Jesus saved us from them.

Friends, start by not giving up, and then use the tools that the Holy Spirit reveals to you to make your God-sized Dreams come true.

Shared by: Lanette Haskins

                                                        

p.s. We launched our God-sized Dreams shop! It contains five downloadable prints created just for you. We hope they inspire you to chase after your dreams! We’d love for you to check them out! And as a thank-you to our email subscribers, once a month we will randomly choose one subscriber to receive a FREE print!