Back to the Drawing Board
Have a listen to “My Portion” by Jekalyn Carr
You’re not where you want to be, but that doesn’t make it a “L”. Life didn’t go the way you wanted it to go, that doesn’t make you a failure or means you should give up. You didn’t get that opportunity you wanted, that’s not rejection. When we reach these times in our life, as hard as they might be, it is not because we’ve done something wrong, or because someone rejected us. It is simply an opportunity to go back to the drawing board: step back to take the time to connect with God and self to understand the vision and reassess the plan for execution.
You see as we grow and mature the vision that we had last year, or the 5-year, or 10-year plans we had no longer serve the person we have become and so God will disrupt the very thing we thought we wanted to bring us right where He has destined us. Look at my life: I said I would NEVER leave New Orleans and here I am preparing for a move across the country (well kinda across the country). I was graced with “a big girl job” that gave me steady, stable income and aligned with many passions of mine, so I was content, up until I was not. Personally, I tend to sell myself short and remain in comfortable spaces rather than take chances and go after what I feel lead to. Most times it’s because of fear, other times it’s a mindset of “if it is not broke, no need in fixing it.” But more and more, I feel like I have so much more in me and I have to do better with stewarding my gifts to serve the Kingdom of God. In this season of surrender (or at least trying lol), I am really pushing myself to follow where I feel inspired to go.
I think about my kiddos a lot, especially since I am not coaching at the moment and I get to watch them from afar and see how they’re having to shift in the different spaces they occupy. It has been humbling to be able to continue to mentor them and help them grow in spaces that feel uncomfortable. (For context: I’ve coached at the same place for about 5 years now, so it’s a big change for all of us, because we had long term plans lol). Recently, I’ve had a lot of aha moments of when I’ve said something to them about embracing change and taking the risks to help them in the future or telling them something like “the end goal is the same, the strategy will just look a little different”. In those moments I immediately think about where I currently am and how sometimes I ask God to help me speak positively into these kids and He ends up using me to minister to me lol.
While it’s easy to get comfortable and settle into a certain lifestyle, career, or even mindset - it is important to embrace the disruption God allows to realign your life to His Will. The hard part is accepting that and releasing control to allow things to flow to you as you continue to have faith that everything will work out for your good.
It is okay to start over or just to start where you are. I invite you to ask yourself: Am I living and serving to my fullest capability or do I need to go back to the drawing board? Don’t know where to get started? Well first, pray and allow the spirit to lead you. Then reach out to me and I’d be happy to be a sounding board or thought partner to help you reach where you need to be.
Email: jerita.mitchell725@gmail.com
