God pushed me into my life's greatest adventure. Where is he pushing you?
Every negative pregnancy test has given me a little plunge of disappointment. The tests I’ve taken when we were trying of course, but even the ones when the timing wasn’t right. Too early in our marriage, or too soon after our first, when we were in the middle of job upheaval, or another move. Despite all the reasons I knew the timing wasn’t right, there was always a piece of me that hoped for a little push from God into an adventure that would change me forever.
Except for this last pregnancy test. This last one I had made up my mind—told God, “no thank you.” Our future was blue printed with me going back to work, Nathan and I shifting our attention to PTA’s and after school activities as we raised our two—count ‘em—TWO little girls. No more dirty diapers, or middle of the night feeding, no more teething, potty training, or safeguarding the life of a reckless toddler bent on endangering his or her life at any given second. We’d given up on the hope of tonka trucks, superheroes, light sabers, and eventually dirty football equipment littering our floors.
And then, the test I’d bought from the Dollar Tree on my way home from school drop-off, the one I thought would be a waste but would put my mind at ease, that little thrifty stick sucker punched me with news that rearranged our plans and put us smack in the middle of God's plan for us.
As my body grows, and as our life expands in new and unplanned ways, I am so scared. I am uncertain of my future and trusting more than ever in God. I am exhilarated. It was a decision we were too scared to make for ourselves. Too much risk. Too many potential challenges. We needed a God-push.
Where in your life do you need a God-push? Is there an olive branch you know you need to extend to someone to mend a relationship? Or the push to pass up an opportunity that is fantastic—but not right for you; or to do something brave that you feel called to do, but unequipped?
Are you on the brink of pursuing a passion, starting a business, volunteering somewhere that matters, inviting someone to coffee, or taking that trip—but you keep letting doubt, busyness, excuses, and your inner critic talk you out of it? Are you letting the spiral of negative self-talk steal your joy and excitement over the opportunities and possibilities ahead? Or are you letting comparison stomp on your confidence and squash your vision?
We see others doing big brave things, and can easily forget that they started in a spark, a tiny whisper, a conversation, an experiment, hobby, in an idea, or a tiny little embryo of possibility, before they grew into the vibrant reality before us.
Friend, today I challenge you to start small and dream big. Here is your God push.
“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” Isaiah 41:10
“For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.“ 2 Timothy 2:7
“But he'd learned long ago that a life lived without risks pretty much wasn't worth living. Life rewarded courage, even when that first step was taken neck-deep in fear.” ― Tamera Alexander, Within My Heart
“Tell your heart that the fear of suffering is worse than the suffering itself. And that no heart has ever suffered when it goes in search of its dreams, because every second of the search is a second's encounter with God and with eternity.”
― Paulo Coelho, The Alchemist