How to do what God is calling you to do when

you’re terrified to do it.

 

One Friday afternoon I was driving home from work and God told me to quit my job.  Of course I didn’t hear some great booming voice thundering down from above but still…God called me to action and I was terrified. Not only was I terrified but I was confused. How did God expect me to make a living and support my family? Come to find out God had been preparing me for this very day for over a year. I was just too busy getting in my own way to see it. I want to share my experience with you so that you don’t waste time fighting God’s will or thinking it’s just too good to be true.

Where it all began

It all started a couple years ago. I was a newlywed and we were raising my young son. I had been at the same job for over 6 years. When I first started the job, I loved it. I was young, single and the job offered so much freedom. But as I grew up, matured in life and in my faith the job just didn’t fit me anymore. I was becoming a negative person and it was effecting my work and personal life. I desperately wanted to quit my job.

Just like everyone else, we have bills to pay and quitting my job wasn’t an option. I was stuck and there was no way out. The only thing I could do was pray. I prayed every night that God’s will would be revealed to me. I drew inspiration from His word. Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

God’s will was revealed

I’ve always been amazed by these people you see on Etsy and Pinterest that make all kinds of crafts. A co-worker suggested I buy a Cricut (it’s a paper crafting machine).  But those things are hundreds of dollars! There’s no way I could afford that especially since I didn’t know how to use it and it wasn’t going to help me with my job situation. For some reason the idea of a Cricut just wouldn’t leave me though.  Every day I pushed the idea down.  And every day I prayed; “Lord, please show me your will. I’m desperate and I need you.” I felt like I wasn’t getting the answers I was looking for but still I prayed.

 

Little did I know at the time that God had used that co-worker to plant a seed in me. It was the beginning of my journey but far from the end. I was too fearful and doubtful to see that God was presenting me with the answer to my prayers. Has God planted a seed in you? Are you open to the idea?

God is persistent

About 6 months into the pattern of praying, working and being miserable, I couldn’t push the idea down any longer. I had to have a Cricut. I mean I. HAD. TO. HAVE. IT! (There’s that persistence I mentioned.) On our one year anniversary my husband bought me a Cricut. I quickly read the instructions and little tutorial and made my first craft.  From then on out I used every free second I had to learn the ins and outs of the machine and software. Just a few weeks later I was making Christmas gifts for friends and family. God had given me this passion and gift for crafting but that couldn’t be God’s will for my life. It was just too amazing and let’s face it, there was just no way I was going to earn a living by making $5 decals.

I never stopped praying. Three more months pass by. During these months the thought of “I want to quit my job” turned into “I NEED to quit my job”. It was a need I felt down to my core but also a feeling that terrified me. There was just no way we could afford that.  At this point it had been a full year. I felt like God was leading me to craft but I was still too scared to take the leap. What is God placing on your heart? What is He being persistent about that you think is just too good to be true?

God turned on the high beams

I read the Bible and I listen to sermons on Christian talk radio. I started seeing a reoccurring theme. It was always about trusting God, knowing that when you pray he DOES answer. You just have to be willing to accept his answer and lean on his wisdom rather than your own understanding. It was always about trusting that God will clear the path for you if you just follow his will. You don’t have to do anything in YOUR own strength but rather rely on HIS strength. Trust that He knows the way and He alone will get you there. You just have to decide to follow him down the path.

 

All of that finally just came together for me and hit me like a ton of bricks. I now knew God’s will for me. He had answered my prayer a year ago and I was just too buys getting in my own way to see it. I had been too scared and doubtful to see God answering my prayers. Now I could see it clearly. I was supposed to be crafting. I’m still human though. And I was still scared to death of quitting my job with no guaranteed income.

When the high beams weren’t enough

So one Friday I get in the car and the very first words I hear on the radio are “He told them to leave their jobs and follow him and without hesitation, they put down their nets, left their boat and followed Jesus.” I didn’t know what I was listening to but I knew those words for me. It was God speaking directly to me giving me direction. The next words were “When God tells you to do something, don’t hesitate, don’t question, just do it.” God reached out and shook me. Is he trying to reach you? Are you seeing or hearing the same theme over and over? Do you continue to have the same thought pop up no matter how hard you push it down? If so have you considered that may be God trying to get through to you?

The guy on the radio was talking about the story in the book of Matthew when Jesus calls to James and John to leave their father, their nets and their boat and follow him. But to me, God was quite literally saying “Quit your job and follow me. Don’t hesitate. Do it now.”

With tears rolling down my face in the middle of rush hour traffic I turned off the radio and I prayed. I told God how scared I was, how uncertain everything would be if I didn’t know how I would be making money. I told God I needed just a little more, I needed a sign. Then I asked God to show me a sign in the sky if he wanted me to quit my job. I got very specific because I didn’t want any doubt or misinterpretation of what I was asking for. I wanted a sign in the night sky when it was dark and there was nothing to see but stars, the moon and blackness. You can ask for a sign too. If you aren’t sure what God is saying, ask him for a sign. The bible says that if you ask, he WILL answer.

 

I saw the sign

I went home that afternoon and spent time with my son until he went to bed. Then I watched a movie with my husband. I didn’t tell anyone about my prayer or that I was asking for a sign. I was scared that God wouldn’t show me a sign and even more scared that he would. It was going to be a yes or a no. If there was a sign in the sky I was going to quit my job and if there wasn’t a sign I was going to keep going on as I had before.

When the movie ended, I quietly got up and went outside. I walked out to the end of our driveway and sat down. Looking up into the black sky I began to pray. I had been there all of about 20 second when this bright flash lit up the sky. It wasn’t an airplane, it wasn’t a star and it wasn’t lightning. It was just a flash and then it was gone. I said out loud “No way, Lord. No way! Do it again!” And just like that, the same flash happened again.  God had answered my prayer and given me a sign. If what you’re feeling deep inside truly is God’s will for you, you’ll get your sign too.

Never look back

The next Monday I put in my notice at work and I haven’t looked back. God wasn’t done with me though. I now have an Etsy shop where I sell my crafts and I have this blog where I get to praise him and inspire others. My advice to you is to get out of your own way. God wants you to be happy and successful. If you feel a calling to do something pray God will give you guidance and pray for the courage to step out of what’s comfortable and into what’s great. So often people miss out on the best of what God has planned for them because they’re too scared to trust him. They’re too caught up in the “how am I going to do this” when they need to focus on the “how is GOD going to use me to do this”.

Again, going back to scripture, Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. God can do miraculous things and you can too if you’ll just take that leap of faith.