When It’s Hard to Go Where God is Leading

What do you do when you know God is asking you to leave, move, or start something new, and it’s just not what you had in mind for your life? In fact, it’s what you would never choose! What then?

I had done it before. More than once I had left a job when I knew I was done and when I felt the Lord’s confirmation in my heart. He always had provided the next place, the next job, and so I fully expected it again. I began a journey of unemployment that would take me through nearly every dollar I’d saved and right back where I started – to move in with my parents right before my 50th birthday. I felt like George Costanza on Seinfeld. My unemployment journey would end with a part-time job at a local book store 1 year to the day that I had turned in my resignation. I called it “the year of the wonderful / awful” for God had picked me up and completely turned my life around and I was the better for it.

About 3 years before, I felt strongly inclined to stop in a gift shop when returning from a spiritual retreat. I purchased a sign that says Home is where your story begins. At the time I didn’t know what it meant, I just knew I had to have it.

In the last 6 years since that Seinfeld move, I’ve gotten married to the most wonderful man (Yes, it’s really true – don’t settle for less than God’s best, ladies!), moved back to my hometown, been fired, and started a company I had waited 9 long years to start.

You never know what blessings God has up His heavenly sleeve for you. 

To walk with Him in close friendship is the ultimate reason we live and breathe. To make that a day-in-day-out reality here on earth is something else altogether! It will ask everything of you and it should. We get far too connected to earthly things like iPhones, houses, and the perfect job. We need to hold these things loosely, knowing that God holds us firmly, never letting go, always providing, loving, forgiving, and asking more of us so that we can know more of Him. 

Boyd Bailey of Wisdom Hunters says, “Has God asked you to go where you don’t want to go? Trust Him and choose to serve Him wherever He calls, even if it’s somewhere that isn’t comfortable or doesn’t feel like home.”

“Anyone who loves their life will lose it while anyone who hates their life in this world will keep it for eternal life” (John 12:25). This means we are to love and value rightly our eternal life (which will last a really long time) more than our earthly life (which is temporary) and obey the Lord of our life over our own desires.

“Whatever He says to you, do it.” (John 2:5) These are Mary’s words instructing the servants to obey Jesus’ requests that made a miracle possible – water into wine! Yes, we can trust Him. Because of that move 6 years ago, I had 3 truly amazing years with my parents before my father died, met again and married a truly amazing man, and began the very thing God had called me to do in 2005. Yes, He had some substantial blessings up His sleeve!  But what if I had stayed where I was? I would have missed it all.

So if He is calling you out, calling you forward, or calling you on the carpet, let Him. Give Him permission to interrupt your life and change it around. Follow where He leads for you never know what surprises, challenges, and blessings await you. You never know what equipping and gifting He will call to the surface of your life that helps you live the most fulfilling earthly life possible that makes the most eternal difference.

Lots of grace,

Robin

From the desk by the window with joy, remembering home is where this story began.

 

For information on Spiritual Life Coaching or Event Speaking, email me at robinlewiswords@gmail.com.

(c) Robin L. Lewis, Sozo Life & Leadership, LLC, February 23, 2016