Recently I was given the opportunity to affirm my path. As a worship pastor I have served in many churches. Recently God gave me a break. I had been serving tirelessly for over 11 years with only three Sundays off a year. I had gone through personal tragedy, the loss of a loved parent, a divorce in the family that rocked my world, and the stress a mother encounters when her grown children select different lifestyles than what they were brought up with. 5 moves in 5 years combined with high stress at work created a perfect storm for me. Trying to hide behind a mask only lasts so long. People who know you sense your vulnerability and some reach out to help, but others use it as an opportunity to tear away at you until there is nothing left. I was given a sabbatical by God. 90 days to rest, heal and understand my transition time. What I have discovered is that God still desires to use me in worship ministry. God still desires for me to share the Gospel. God is calling me to an even deeper relationship than I had before. God uses my prayers to heal others and God is healing me physically, emotionally, spiritually and mentally.
When you are in the middle of a transition you may question your call, your path that you feel God has called you to. Am I done? Are you finished with me? Am I too old for this? Am I not relevant anymore? Am I too broken to be used? All of these questions and more may come to your mind.
What I want to share with you is that if you are pursuing the best that God has for you, allow Him to affirm your call. Keep walking, or crawling through the doors of opportunity - even if they are only open a crack - follow them. God will firmly close and open doors. Just remember, that He does this according to His Divine plan for your life and not your own plans for your life. He will bless those that stay the course. He will also take time for further purification. Don't be afraid of this process. Release yourself to it and submit to it knowing that God is using this time to prepare you for something greater.
Don't give up! Don't spin your wheels seeking searching for anything to fill the time in the transition. Use it to learn, to grow, to heal so that you can be a blessing to others when you come out the other side.
Know that you are loved change heroines. I may or may not know those that are reading these blogs...but I want you to know that I love you and I believe in you and so does God!
“. . . unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God ” (John 3:3)."Am I seeking only for the evidence of God’s kingdom, or am I actually recognizing His absolute sovereign control? The new birth gives me a new power of vision by which I begin to discern God’s control. His sovereignty was there all the time, but with God being true to His nature, I could not see it until I received His very nature myself." Oswald Chambers
**Cathy is a writer, speaker and worship leader. You may contact her for speaking engagements at cwoolaway@yahoo.com or 217 521 2070
Good word, Cathy!
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