Just Stretch

This is my first blog.  Yeah!  A little bit exciting and a little bit scary at the same time, but after much prayer and several confirmations along the way, I believe it is definitely what God is calling me to do now. 

With our recent move and the thought of our children finally all being in school next year, I began to wonder and pray for God’s guidance about what He wanted me to do.  Later that week, I received two writer’s mailings in the mailbox in one day and another one the next day.  For those of you that don’t know, writing has been a passion of mine, and many moons ago I spent more than two years investing in writing short children’s stories and submitting them for publishing, going to conferences, etc.  All to no avail.  Carl, my husband, said on the same day as I received the mailings that he had talked to someone who had very strongly encouraged me to keep on writing.  Is this what God was calling me to do, again?  To write?

I have to admit I was not totally excited about the prospect.  I had put my heart and my soul into those two years doing what I believed God was asking of me, but there was no fruit.  However, I felt strongly that He was leading me in a new direction this time and that was to possibly write a blog.  I had not shared my thoughts with anyone yet other than Carl.  Less than a week later, one of Facebook friends, Sarah, wrote to me and said, “I know how much you love to write.  Was thinking as you adjust to a new place and a new climate…what a perfect time for you to get in touch with your writing skills again.  The new age is blogs so I say…keep us all posted on what is life like with you in your new location.  Be bold and unafraid to just get out there with a message.”  Confirmation.  This was not the first time that Sarah had come into my life to encourage me.

Almost two years ago, Sarah approached me and asked me to be a mentor to someone in the church who was my own age.  What did I have to offer someone my own age?  I could maybe visualize mentoring someone younger than me, but I felt totally unworthy to mentor someone my own age.  But before dinner one night, it all came together.  We had sat down as a family to pray before dinner, and we always hold hands when we pray.  Nathan, my son, now calls this hand holding our “circle of awesomeness”.  Carl, my husband, motioned to our then three year old daughter, Lauren, to hold his hand across the table.  She said, “I can’t.”  It was too far for her to reach.  Carl said to her, “I know you can’t, but I can.  Just stretch.”  Have you ever had moments in your life where time seems to stand still?  I am not even sure what words my husband prayed that night before dinner, but I do know that God was speaking to me.  It was as if God had spoken the words Himself.  I was telling my father I couldn’t do it.  It was too far for me to reach.  My father was telling me that He knew I couldn’t, but that He could.  He would do the work, and all He was asking of me was to obey and to stretch a little bit out of my comfort zone.

So, here I am again, stepping out in faith and stretching out beyond my comfort zone, but I know that God can do a work in spite of me.  What is God calling you to do?  God calls imperfect people to do great things.  He is holding His hand out to you with love saying, “I know you can’t do it, but I can.  Just stretch a little in obedience and faith.  I will do the rest.”