Hi friend, thanks for stopping by! I'm Amanda. I am a pastor's wife and a homeschooling mom who has a passion to encourage women to faithfully step every day into what God has for them.
When I see this picture of my two little girls, it makes me smile. Mostly, because these moments are few and far between. You never know with these two. Maggie and Macey are the best of friends at times and the worst of enemies at other times. One of the things we come back to time and time again with these two, as well as with our older kids is this…You need to be understanding of each other.
When our kids fight, it’s because neither of them is willing to give. They have to learn how to accept the other person for who they are. They also have to figure out who they are and learn to work with that.
Understanding Ourselves
So many of us struggle in relationships because we don’t fully understand ourselves. God gives us helpful insight into this problem in the book of Matthew.
If your first concern is to look after yourself, you’ll never find yourself. But if you forget about yourself and look to me, you’ll find both yourself and me.
Matthew 10:39 MSG
If my focus is primarily on myself, I’m never going to figure myself out. It seems backwards, but God says, “Focus on me instead. Get to know me.” When you focus on God, you will actually find both yourself and God.
The clearer we see God, the clearer we see ourselves. God says he made us in his very image. So it would make sense that the closer we get to God and understanding him, the closer we get to understanding how he made us. Only then, can we begin to understand other people.
Understanding God
How do you get close to God? How can we begin to understand him?
My morning time routine
5 Ways to Get Close to God
Start every day by spending time with him. I do this through my morning time routine.
Listen to uplifting, encouraging Christian music. Make a list on Spotify of your favorite worship songs. Then listen to them throughout your day. Listening to Godly music can bring a sense of peace and a realization of God’s goodness into our daily routine.
Be in church on Sundays. I know we can worship from home, and we’ve all had to do it because of covid. But if you can, try to be in church on Sundays. What you can’t get at home is the time of worship music and the fellowship with other believers.
Read encouraging and uplifting books that will help you to draw closer to God. I do this as a part of my morning time routine. You can find a list of books I recommend here.
Spend time with other believers who will encourage you in your faith. You can do this by joining or starting a small group. Or just find a friend or two who can encourage you in your faith and meet up with them once a week or month for coffee. Good, strong friendships can help to keep us moving forward in our faith.
The more time we spend getting to know God, the more we begin to understand ourselves. Only once we understand ourselves can we begin to understand other people and better our relationships.
There’s beauty in the unmaking of something. I saw this tree a few days ago when I was out walking and snapped a picture. My daughter asked me why I took the picture. To her it was just an ugly tree losing its bark. To me, it was a beautiful picture of what could be.
At first glance, the tree does look kind of ugly. In this moment, it’s a tree that doesn’t command our interest. It’s in the middle of undergoing the changing process. But when all the bark comes off, it will be beautiful in its natural form.
God’s Work of Unmaking Us
I feel at times like this tree—God is unmaking me and unraveling me, piece by piece. Sometimes I feel like by the time he’s done, I won’t have anything left. Sometimes it’s painful. The more God reveals my weaknesses and changes me, the more I feel broken and unusable. And yet there’s a beauty in the unmaking, well maybe not in the unmaking, but in the finished product. There’s beauty in seeing something in its true nature—raw, unfiltered, without makeup, no touch ups… just as it really is.
That’s what we look for in others, right? Openness, trueness, authenticity. Yet, why is it so hard to produce it in our own lives? Because it’s painful. It’s painful to be stripped bare; it’s painful to be unmade. Yet when God wants to use us, this is exactly what he does.
Real-Life Examples
Look at some of the examples from the Bible—Jonah, Peter, Elijah, and Moses. Jonah was thrown overboard a ship and forgotten. Peter denied Christ and lost his reputation and credibility. Moses was left on the backside of a desert, seemingly forgotten for 40 years. And Elijah hid and was fed from birds while trying to escape for his life for a time.
These men were stripped of their title, rank, credibility, and pride. Only then did God decide He decide could use them. Jonah was used to preach one of the greatest revivals in history. Peter preached at Pentecost and thousands came to Christ. Elijah battled against the prophets of Baal and won, and Moses led the children of Israel out of Egypt and through the Red Sea on dry land. The timing was different for each of them. It was 3 days for Jonah, 50 days for Peter, an unknown time for Elijah, and 40 years for Moses. (Here’s an important side note- don’t compare your story to anybody else’s. It won’t help! God works in each of our lives differently. We can’t compare our story to anybody else’s story or experience.)
Coming to the End of Ourselves
It’s only when we come to the end of ourselves that we find God’s grace is enough. When we are at our lowest, when we are at our weakest…that’s when God can use us. His strength becomes our strength.
And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.
I Corinthians 12:9,10 KJV
If you’re in a place today where you feel like God is unraveling you or unmaking you, I get it. I’m there myself. Don’t give up. Instead, release yourself to the process. Cling to Him during the process and trust him to get you through it.
Give your burdens to the Lord, and he will take care of you. He will not permit the godly to slip and fall.
Psalm 55:22 NLT
This unmaking of you won’t be the breaking of you. Instead, it will produce something far more beautiful.
Often, I talk to women who want to do something more with their lives. They feel like God wants them to do something, but they are unsure of what. One of the simplest ways to answer that question is to look at your gifts, talents, abilities, and passions. What do you already do or have that God could use? A good example of this is Moses.
What was in Moses’ Hand?
What did Moses have in his hand? A rod. A simple tool, something he used every day. It wasn’t extraordinary, and there was nothing special about it. Yet, in Moses’ hand, God used it to accomplish his purpose and do something amazing.
Moses objected, “They won’t trust me. They won’t listen to a word I say. They’re going to say, ‘God? Appear to him?
Hardly!’” So God said, “What’s that in your hand?”
“A staff.”
Exodus 4:1,2 MSG
God used Moses and his staff time and time again to show God’s power. When Moses threw it on the ground, it became a serpent. When he held the rod over the Nile River, the river turned to blood. Moses used the staff to bring frogs out of the river, lice from the ground, hail from heaven, and locusts. When he held it over the Red Sea, the waters parted before the children of Israel and they walked across on dry land. In Moses’ hand, his rod was a simple tool. However, when God touched it it became an incredible conduit of power.
What’s in Your Hand?
What do you have in your hand that God can use to do something great? To you, it may seem simple; but in God’s hand, it becomes something incredible. Maybe think of it this way: What do you have in your hand that God has given you that you can use to help make someone’s life easier? What’s in your hand that you can use to encourage somebody else? It could be a…
a pen
a paintbrush
a spatula
a calculator
an instrument
a ruler
a handbook
a microscope
a phone
an espresso machine
a volleyball
a camera
a paint roller
a sewing machine
a sketchbook
a Bible
a vase
a duster
a laptop
a printer
a stethoscope
a bridle
a journal
Using Your Own Unique Gifting
God works within our personality, abilities, and talents. He’s not going to ask you to travel to a foreign country and help care for kids with medical needs if you’re a photographer. He’s going to use someone who is trained in the medical field.
My fantasy books
I write books, both Christian inspirational and fantasy fiction. My friend Keya makes candles. Aiesha, one of my friends, makes beauty products. My sister teaches piano, and my sister-in-law manages a Starbucks store. Kelley, another of my friends, runs a pony camp each summer for kids. My friend Jen manages a day care. Each of these women are so vastly different and yet each one of them is using their natural gifting, talents, and abilities to accomplish what God has for them.
My friend Keya’s candles
How do you get ready for God to use you?
Be willing to try. You can do anything if you’re at least willing to try. Your first attempt may not be successful; maybe your second and third attempt won’t be either. But you have to be willing to try. God can redirect you as you go.
Be ready to start. Pulling the trigger is the hardest step. Once God shows you what to do, go for it. Don’t let excuses stop you from moving forward.
Don’t quit. It may not be successful right away, but that’s okay. As long as you don’t quit, God can use you. There is only one guarantee: If you quit, you will not get to see what God could have done and accomplished through you.
What’s in your hand today that God wants to use to make a difference in this world?
Matt has this crazy, loud laugh. When something cracks him up, he just lets lose. It doesn’t matter where we are or who we are with. It doesn’t bother me now, but it used to. When we first got married, I can’t tell you how many times I shushed him or kicked him under the table when we were out to dinner or at other people’s houses. It was embarrassing to me, and I thought in my immaturity that it should be embarrassing to him.
The fact is, it didn’t bother him at all. Over a decade later, it still doesn’t bother him. I am embarrassed to admit I even confronted him about it once. I said something dumb about being a little quieter, about not bothering other people, and other stuff that just showed my immaturity and stupidity. As you can imagine, it didn’t go over very well.
My Focus was All Wrong
The problem was I was focused on me. I am introverted and don’t like extra attention on me or my family. So, I will go out of my way to avoid any extra attention. I thought that Matt should be like that too. If you know my husband Matt, you probably just laughed out loud. Matt is the exact opposite of that. Matt loves attention. The more there is, the more he performs. He’s pretty much a “sorry, not sorry” kind of guy; he’s just not going to apologize for being who he is.
What I didn’t realize early into our marriage was that is a strength for my husband. Him being able to throw his head back and laugh and not care who’s watching is something I desperately needed more of in my life. In those early years, I was so focused on doing the right thing, saying the right thing, wearing the right thing, that I was almost paralyzed from doing anything. I needed Matt’s fun side; I just didn’t realize that.
Now, I understand, appreciate, and love the fun side of Matt. It’s what makes him a fun dad to our kids, a great husband to me, and a wonderful pastor. He is relatable to people, and people love that.
Don’t Apologize for Being You
I realized at some point that I was trying to change Matt’s personality. That wasn’t my job or my place. God created him exactly the way he did for the tasks he has for him. I’m so glad my husband didn’t listen to me. He breathes life into our family every single day with his humor and fun-loving side. If he would have changed for me, our family wouldn’t be what it is today.
Now, my extended family teases me that I laugh hysterically at anything Matt says or does. I do. I finally let my pride go and my sense of what was “appropriate” and can enjoy laughing with Matt. We have the best time laughing and having fun together as a family. He doesn’t apologize for being him, and I don’t apologize for him either.
Matt has taught me an invaluable lesson- don’t apologize for being you. This is something that I believe a lot of women struggle with, myself included.
Just Be You
I want to remind you of an incredible truth. You are created exactly the way God wanted to create you. There is nothing wrong with you, there is nothing you need to change. Don’t apologize for being exactly how God created you. However God has created you and crafted your personality, use it to help the people around you.
Learning who you are is freeing. You don’t have to hide anymore. You can boldly stand before God and the people in your life because you are okay with how God created you. That kind of a woman is unstoppable.
When you discover who you really are, don’t hide that from the world. Show up as you. Own the personality God has given you. He didn’t make any mistakes when He created you. He’s not ashamed of His creation. It’s time for us to stop acting like we are ashamed of the way God created us.
Be the Best Version of Yourself
Be the best version of you so you can be that for somebody else. If God created you strong, be strong for the people in your life who are not strong. Be strong for them. If God designed you to have a big heart to love and care for others, then do that. Love the people around you. Take care of those who are hurt and need someone to help them out. If God created you to be a leader, then step into that position. Lead the people around you. Be the kind of leader that does right by their people.
Whatever you do, don’t apologize for how God created you! Step into that role and be the best you, you can be!
If you have been around Faithfully Stepping for any amount of time, you probably know by now that Matt and I started Greater Philly Church ten years ago outside of Philadelphia, and that’s where we work and minister every week. What you may not know is that my husband and I started a business in 2020 called Manney Resources. After our paycheck got cut in half a few years ago, we started writing books and selling them on Amazon to try and offset the loss. Last year, we created a website to put all our resources together in one place—Manney Resources.
We create and sell books, journals, and devotionals to help people grow in their faith one morning at a time. Thank you so much to those of you who have bought our resources and helped to support our family!
We work hard during the year producing resources that we believe will help people change their lives. Well, we just released four resources this month; and I’m super excited to tell you about them!
I just released a book called, Finding Free: 5 Simple Steps to a More Peaceful, Content, and Happy You. Along with this book, we also released a study guide, a thirty-day devotional, and a thirty-day journal.
from left to right: Finding Free book, Finding Free Devotional, Finding Free Study Guide, and Finding Free Journal
I love all the products we release through Manney Resources, but this set right here might just be my favorite release yet!
So many women today are not living lives that are truly free. They are not living a life they love. More than that, they are miserable. Maybe they don’t know who they are or what they are supposed to do in life. They feel empty, like they are missing something. They feel like they are a mistake, or not good enough. They’re stuck working jobs they can’t stand, or are at home living a life that is empty and unfulfilling.
We want to experience more, crave finding what will truly make us happy and content. Yet, we are completely clueless on how to find it or even know what it is we are searching for.
In Finding Free, I share my story of spinning in circles trying to find what I was missing, what I was supposed to do with my life, and trying to figure out why i wasn’t more fulfilled. I knew God had more for her life, but I didn’t know how to find it.
Finding Free is a journey in discovering five steps to a more peaceful, content, and happy you.
Understand Your Personality and how God wants to use uniquely you.
Discover the Purpose God has for your life.
Create a Life You Love.
Allow God to Redirect You into the future He has for you.
Release the Shame that’s holding you back from living a life of freedom.
Discover the five simple steps to a more peaceful, happy, and content life by living free. In this 30-Day Devotional Study you will learn to understand your personality, discover your purpose, create a life you love, allow God to redirect you, and release your shame.
Find Your Way
Stories: So many people struggle to find freedom in Jesus. Stories help to bring truth to light in the revealing timeless truths in a practical, everyday way. Each devotional contains an engaging story.
Focus Your Thoughts
Scriptures: How do you learn to take the steps to Finding Free? Discover specific Scripture readings each day to direct your thoughts and fill your heart with encouragement and answers to help you take each step toward Finding Free.
Fuel Your Hope
Solutions: God’s word is the way forward. Without hope and direction from God, our way is lost. Each devotional concludes with a series of questions for reflection and discussion on the Scripture reading to stimulate your thoughts and forge a way forward.
The Finding Free Devotional is perfect for personal use, a book club, or small group study.
One of the greatest challenges we face at women is getting caught in the hustle, bustle, and hurry of the everyday life. We spend a lot of time and energy, but all we have to show for it is tired eyes and weary hearts. The Finding Free Journal is a guide to help you keep Christ the center focus each day and discover how to become a more peaceful, content, and happy you.
The Finding Free Journal is a guided 30-day experience. Each day features a section for journaling your prayer time and a section for journaling any insights or encouragement you gained from reading your Bible or a devotional. After that, you will have a journaling prompt, an affirmation, an excerpt from Amanda’s book Finding Free, a prayer, or a life hack to implement the principles from her book.
If you are not familiar with journaling, the Finding Free Journal is a great place to start. If you have been around church for a while and know the prayer and Bible reading routine but need something new and different to try, welcome to the next level of spiritual growth. Using the journal each morning will help take the guilt and guess-work out of growing your faith so you can gain spiritual momentum and growth your faith so you can change your life.
For too long, you have sought to do the right thing, but you found you were doing it the wrong way. Discover the key to Finding Free!
You are about to discover what it means to FIND FREE. In this six session study guide, you will uncover the five simple steps to a more peaceful, content, and happy you. The “you” God created before your life began. You will discover not just “who” you are but “whose” you are on this journey to a life Jesus described as the “abundant life” in John 10:10.
No matter where you are on your spiritual journey, if you have followed Jesus for most of your life, you just started to follow Jesus, or you are searching for what it means to have a relationship with Jesus, you will discover why you were created by God and how to unlock His purpose in your life.
Through discussion-based questions, reflections, group and personal exercises, you will learn the process to stop trying harder and lean into the life Jesus intended for you to live. This study is perfect for any setting for those looking to do a study without a video-based teaching. Whethey you are walking this path alone for personal growth or with a small group, you are just a page turn away from the start of a whole new way of living without the guilt and guess-work. Welcome to Finding Free!
Putting it All Together
Matt and I have a system we use every morning during our morning time routine called 30-to-THRIVE. Simply put, here’s how it works:
10 minutes reading a devotional or Bible⠀⠀⠀
10 minutes journaling ⠀⠀⠀
10 minutes reading a book ⠀⠀
You spend ten minutes reading your Bible or a devotional. Then you spend ten minutes journaling—this includes prayer time. Lastly, you spend ten minutes reading a book that inspires you to grow your faith or teaches you something new. Just thirty minutes a day can revolutionize your morning and change your life!
Be sure to check out all of these resources by clicking any of the links or by going to Manney Resources. I hope they are a help and encouragement to you! Let me know if you have any questions about any of the products!
I believe that specific prayers get specific results. So many times, Matt and I talk to and counsel with people who are considering a major life change. Maybe it’s deciding if they should pursue a new career or opportunity, a big move, a potential spouse, taking a chance on something, and more. When I ask how they are praying about it, they say something like this, “I’m just praying that God will show me.”
While that sounds good on the surface, that kind of a prayer does nothing to show you what it is you’re supposed to do. I am a huge advocate of specific prayers. I believe specific prayers get specific results. When you pray a specific prayer and line it out for God, you will know very clearly what his answer is.
An Example of Specific Prayer
A great example of this in the Bible is the story of Isaac and Rebekah. Isaac needed a wife, so Abraham (Isaac’s father) sends his servant back to his homeland with the goal of finding a wife for his son. Think of the enormity of the servant’s task. Knowing he his not equipped to be able to do this on his own, he enters the homeland of his Master Abraham and comes to rest at a well, and prays. He says God, I need you to point me to the right woman. Then he lays out his specific prayer.
He prayed, “O God, God of my master Abraham, make things go smoothly this day; treat my master Abraham well! As I stand here by the spring while the young women of the town come out to get water, let the girl to whom I say, ‘Lower your jug and give me a drink,’ and who answers, ‘Drink, and let me also water your camels’—let her be the woman you have picked out for your servant Isaac. Then I’ll know that you’re working graciously behind the scenes for my master.”
Genesis 24:12-14 MSG
He let his specific requests be known to God, so he would know whether or not God had answered his prayer. When Rebekah comes to the well, she does exactly as he prayed she would. She offers him a drink and offers to water his camels. Then he knows that God has answered his prayer.
Learning to Pray Specifically
Too often, our prayers are not specific enough; so then we don’t know whether God is really answering that prayer or not. The best way to get God’s answer on a matter is to pray specifically.
For example, when Matt and I were praying about buying a building for our church, we prayed for the building to drop to a specific amount. We also prayed that the financing would work that we would rent from the owners of the building. When both of those prayers were specifically answered, we knew that this was the building God had for us.
If we had just prayed, “God, help us to know whether or not we should buy this particular building,” we wouldn’t have known if we God was answering our prayer or not. Praying specifically takes the guesswork out of prayer, out of knowing whether or not God is answering a specific prayer.
We have been home from the hospital for about six weeks now and are adjusting to our new normal with Macey, who was diagnosed at the beginning of June with Type 1 Diabetes. She has been such a trooper and so brave and strong through all of this.
Macey with her Dexcom on her arm
Macey’s New Dexcom
I am so happy to say that she got her Dexom—a continuous glucose monitoring system. It has made things so much easier for us to monitor her numbers continuously. It makes traveling soo much easier. With the touch of a button, we know her numbers. Whether it’s while she’s swimming in the pool, playing outside, traveling in the car, or sleeping…we can know what her numbers are and help to prevent any highs and lows. It’s been a game changer for us. The Dexcom takes the place of pricking her finger. So we don’t have to do all the finger pricking all day long, and she’s super grateful for that!
Macey’s Dexcom monitor
In the months to come, we are hoping to get her on an insulin pump. That will take the place of most of her insulin shots, so we are still praying and hoping for that sometime in the future. Right now, we are enjoying the freedom of using the Dexcom.
We got to go see our friends in Ohio and their new book store!
Back to Her Happy Self
Thank you to so many of you that have been praying for us and praying for Macey. She is doing so much better. She is back to her normal self, something that we are so incredibly grateful for. It took several weeks for her to be back to the “Macey” we know, but we are so happy with where she’s at now.
Macey on a date with her Daddy
She turned six last week and celebrated by having a Wonder Woman party! We had our family over for the day, and the cousins all ended up in the pool! It was a great day.
Macey’s birthday party
Being Reminded of God’s Goodness
It’s during times like these that we are reminded of how good God is and how blessed we are to have family and friends that love us and pray for us. We experienced such an outflow of love from people. Macey received card after card, balloons, presents in the mail, and more. We are beyond thankful for all of you! Thank you so much!
We are so thankful that God prepared us as much as possible to be able to handle Macey’s diagnosis. Every time we meet with a new doctor or nurse, they ask us if we are ready to handle the trials that come from having a Type 1 Diabetic child in school. Every time, we are able to tell them that we don’t have to worry about that because I homeschool the kids. Every time, without fail, they say something like, “Oh, good. That will be so much easier!” God is so good. He knew exactly what Macey would need before we did.
Our Biggest Blessing this Summer
God has an amazing way of meeting needs before we even know we know them. One of the biggest blessings we’ve experienced this summer is getting an Intex pool in the backyard. We have wanted one for several years and just haven’t pulled the trigger. We decided that this was the year. It has been a God-send. One of the things that keeps Madcey’s numbers from going too high is exercise. So, every time her numbers start to climb, we throw her in the pool…which she is happy as a clam to do! It’s been such a blessing!
The girls in the pool
Sometimes, you have to pull back and look at the full situation to see God’s hand of blessing in your life. Other times, it’s so evident that you can’t miss it. I feel like that’s how the last several weeks have been.
We continue to trust God and his plan for Macey as we move forward. We are continually reminded of his faithfulness and goodness to us.
There’s a shop in Lancaster, PA that sells beautiful pottery pieces from a local potter. Each of the pieces are unique and beautiful, brightly colored and eye-catching. They’re also really expensive. That’s because each piece takes hours to create, and no two pieces are the same. They are all uniquely different. I’ve bought a few pieces over the years as gifts for people.
A Potter in Old Testament Times
The picture of the potter seemed to be a popular way for the people to understand how God works, because God was constantly using the potter to teach his people lessons in the Old Testament.
In the book of Jeremiah, God tells the prophet Jeremiah, “Go on down to the potter’s house and watch the potter. I’m going to use him to teach you and my people a few lessons.”
So I went to the potter’s house, and sure enough, the potter was there, working away at his wheel. Whenever the pot the potter was working on turned out badly, as sometimes happens when you are working with clay, the potter would simply start over and use the same clay to make another pot.
Jeremiah 18:3,4 MSG
Then the Lord gave me this message: “O Israel, can I not do to you as this potter has done to his clay? As the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are you in my hand.
Jeremiah 18:5,6 NLT
Lessons from the Potter
What do these verses teach us about God, as the Master Potter? Here are four life lessons we can learn from the potter.
1. A potter doesn’t discard the clay when the vessel he’s creating doesn’t turn out right.
Just as the potter doesn’t throw away the clay simply because it didn’t turn out the way he wanted, so God doesn’t set us aside when we make mistakes or when we experience massive failure in our lives. He simply helps us put the pieces of our life back together again and uses those failures to shape us into who he wants us to be.
2. The potter knows the value of the clay.
The potter knows the value of good clay and won’t throw any of it away. In the same way, God sees value in us long before we become anything spectacular.
3. A potter doesn’t get angry at the imperfections; he just starts over.
A good potter doesn’t react in anger when what he is creating doesn’t turn out. He simply molds it together and starts again. Similarly, God doesn’t get angry at us in our frailty. He patiently molds us and shapes.
4. The potter sees the final product in his head before it takes shape in his hands.
A potter has in his creative mind what the final product is going to look like. Then he patiently works at it until the piece resembles the picture in his mind. God does that same with us. He sees the final product, and he won’t give up until we resemble that final product.
Our job in all of this is to simply stay moldable, shapable. How do we do that? We have to constantly be tuned in to his voice and working in our life. We can do that in four ways.
One of the best ways to stay close to God is to connect and align ourselves with him each week by listening to good preaching, participating in worshiping God through music, serving God and others, and fellowshipping with other believers. We can do all this by getting plugged into a local church.
3. Join a small group.
I am a huge proponent of small groups, even though I didn’t grow up with small groups. But after more than eight years of participating in small groups, I can see the amazing value of them. There’s something about being accountable to the same group of people week after week. Sharing a meal together, doing a Bible study and praying together each week, and just doing life together week after week keeps you accountable in a way that church just doesn’t. We love our small group and couldn’t imagine doing life without the members of our group.
4. Listen to good music and podcasts throughout the week.
Another way to stay close to God during the week is to listen to good Christian music and podcasts. By filling our hearts and minds with more of God and his goodness to us, we keep a tender heart towards him and are more apt to hear his voice and see his hand guiding us.
It’s our job to stay moldable, ready and willing to follow as God leads in our lives. It’s God’s job to make us into the person he created us to be. When we do our job and allow God to do his job, we will find ourselves at complete peace.
My husband, Matt, wrote this post for his blog this week. I liked it so much and thought it was so helpful, I decided to share it for this week’s post.
The Perfect Storm
October 30, 1991, was the day a nameless storm hit the North Atlantic seaboard. Just a few days before, Hurricane Grace developed off the coast of Bermuda and headed to the Southeast coastline of the United States. As the days progressed, Grace came head-to-head with a low-pressure system hailing from Canada. The clash of the two storms created the perfect storm. The National Hurricane Center chose not to name the storm for fear it would confuse the public.
During the developing weather system, a crew of six manned a 70-foot fishing boat called the Andrea Gail. The crew headed to the Grand Banks of the North Atlantic, where they were hoping to catch swordfish. When the crew failed to arrive back into port on November 1, a search party was sent to look for the them. Sebastian Junger records the tale in his book, The Perfect Storm, which became a motion picture. The unnamed perfect storm swallowed the crew who were never found.
A Storm of Biblical Proportions
The disciples were used to fishing on the twelve-mile-long and eight-mile-wide Sea of Galilee. What they were not used to were the freak storms that could whip up at a moment’s notice. The sea was nicknamed “The Great Abyss” by the locals. While the sea gave the men their livelihood, it also posed a threat to their lives.
While we might not be in a literal storm like the disciples, we all face “storms” that threaten to take us down, along with the people we love as well as our future. How do you know if you’re going to make it through your storm? Here are five signs that indicate you won’t make it.
5 Signs You Won’t Make It Through the Storm
1. You are about to quit.
The worst time to leave a relationship, quit a job, or make a drastic decision is in the midst of a storm. It’s been said, “Don’t make a long-term decision, for short-term inconvenience.” Storms have a shelf-life with an expiration date. What’s the answer? H-A-L-T Don’t make a decision when you are H (Hungry), A (Angry), L (Lonely), or T (Tired.)
2. You think you’re the exception
You think you’re the exception. Sometimes the temptation comes to sail head-long into a bad situation, do nothing, or just hope for the best. “Let the chips fall where they may.” If you have advanced warning of a storm, experts say the best course of action is to find a port. Don’t look for just any port. Find a port that’s a “hurricane hole,” with high mountains or cliffs around it and a good holding. What’s the answer? Go to God. Reach out to friends who will point you back to God. Get to church. Church is a great port of refuge for those times we are the most troubled. Psalm 46:1 says, “God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble.”
3. You think another ship might help.
Target fixation can be a real problem in a storm. There are people and places you might think will be a help but will only sink you faster in the midst of chaos. What’s the answer? Have a plan and conviction before the chaos and crisis hits.
4. You’re in denial.
Ever heard this before? “Denial is not just a river in Egypt.” Some of us don’t like bad news, to feel pain, or deal with reality. We might get so used to chaos and living in a “storm” that we get comfortable with drama, stress, and toxicity. If you don’t get help or make a change, eventually you’ll start taking on water and sink any chance of making it through the storm. What’s the answer? Get HOT- be honest, open, and transparent with where you are in life. Revealing your feeling is the beginning of healing. We are only as sick as our secrets. We’ve all got problems. If you’re in an abusive, unhealthy relationship, it might be time to reach out to someone and ask for help.
5. Your emotions are calling the shots.
Panic is the most dangerous crew member in the midst of a storm. If panic takes the helm and starts giving orders, the risk of injury and fatality increase exponentially. What’s the answer? Have a plan and stick to it. Get a buddy system. Who can you call to help you have objectivity in your situation? Who can you check in with on a regular basis so that you can keep a level head?
Your Own Perfect Storm
Maybe you’re facing your own unnamed perfect storm right now. You’re fearful of your circumstances swallowing you up. You fear no rescue party could find you. Friends and family have their own worries to tend to. You may feel alone like the disciples and wonder if anyone knows or cares about you. Be encouraged to know that Jesus will always come to you in your storm.
In Matthew 14:22-33, the disciples experienced a literal storm. Jesus came to them in the midst of their storm and guided them safely to shore.
Jesus will allow for situations to unfold in which we feel far from him. In the start of the story, Jesus tells the disciples to go on ahead without him. Sometimes there are situations in life when we feel alone and far from Jesus. It’s simply a part of life. But just because we feel lonely doesn’t mean we are alone.
Remember this: God may allow storms, but he doesn’t abandon us in them. When you are in the midst of your storm, call out to Jesus. He will be there and help guide you safely through your storm.
God’s plan of promotion is so different than ours. Often, God’s promotion can be summed up in one word…TIME. Whereas, we want the raise, the huge platform, the fame, and the income now.
Your dreams may look like they are never going to come true. You may feel like this thing God has called you to is just not working out, and you may begin to doubt yourself and doubt what you thought God wanted you to do. Feeling like a failure because this is not how you saw your life going, you begin to doubt yourself and question God’s purpose for your life.
Don’t Give Up
When those doubts come, don’t jump ship. Don’t give up on the dream God has given you. His plan is completely different than yours. We see the here and now; God sees eternity. He can do far more than we could ever even imagine or ask for in our wildest dreams.
Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.
Ephesians 3:20 NLT
David’s Promotion
David was a nobody until God made him a somebody. He simply fulfilled his duty. He showed up every day to fulfill the task he’d been given. It wasn’t glamorous, and it wasn’t fun. Yet because he was faithful in the small things, when the time was right, God pulled him into the big leagues.
Then he chose David, his servant, handpicked him from his work in the sheep pens. One day he was caring for the ewes and their lambs, the next day God had him shepherding Jacob, his people Israel, his prize possession. His good heart made him a good shepherd; he guided the people wisely and well.
Psalm 78:70-72
David had no idea when he got up early to go tend sheep that his life was going to change forever that day.
Show Up Today
How do we get God to use us? It’s simple. Choose to show up today to whatever it is God has for you.
Too many of us are guilty of searching for our own significance. We try to find the perfect job, create an amazing platform, and promote ourselves until we’re blue in the face. What if instead, we chose to just show up and fulfill the roles we’ve already been given and wait for God to promote us.
But God is the judge: he putteth down one, and setteth up another.
Psalm 75:7 KJV
Fear-of-God is a school in skilled living— first you learn humility, then you experience glory.
Proverbs 15:33 MSG
God decides when it’s time for us to enter the limelight. It’s his job to promote us in his timing. So if you’re stressing today, take a deep breath. Get back to the basics. Do what you need to do today to move forward. Take the next step, and leave the rest up to God. Don’t spend all your energy trying to promote yourself. Do what needs to be done today. Work hard; then leave the rest in God’s capable hands.
