This past summer I took a risk. I did something I had thought about for years, but kept putting off. It was something that made me uncomfortable just thinking about it. No, I didn’t go skydiving or bungee jumping. Instead, I saw a professional counselor. (And obviously I survived!) Why was this so hard for me?
So, what made me finally take the risk and see a counselor? The desire to follow God’s calling on my life became greater than my fears. This isn’t something that happened overnight, but over several years. Deep down, I knew that the things I didn’t want to talk about were the exact things I needed to talk about. I knew that God wanted to use all of my story to reveal His glory…not just part of it. But first, I needed to get some help. I spent several months in counseling, and while it was one of the hardest things I’ve done, it was also one of the best things I’ve done. My emotions were validated, I received Godly wisdom/advice, and I gained a sense of empowerment. I learned that sometimes the hurts in our life are too big to handle on our own, and that’s ok. That's why God has placed others around us. It’s hard for them to support us, though, unless they know there is a need. If you’ve had a positive experience seeing a counselor, I would encourage you to share that with someone. The more people talk about reaching out for help, the more likely others will too. With one confession at a time, the lie will be replaced by the truth: Reaching out for help isn’t a sign of weakness - it’s one of the bravest things you can do. Taking a risk isn’t easy, but if it allows you to experience the life God desires for you, it will always be worth it.
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Back in high school I spent countless hours writing papers. When an assignment was given, the most common follow up questions were: How many pages do we have to write? What size do the margins have to be? Can we use size 48 font? I admit, I asked these questions too. Why? Because writing papers wasn’t fun. In college, the writing assignments grew, but so did my faith. I had prayed that God would surround me with Christian friends who were passionate about their faith. God answered those prayers. I experienced the joy of living in honest community with other believers. I learned the difference between religion and having a personal relationship with God. As my faith became stronger, something strange began to happen. I began to enjoy writing – not writing papers (because that would be crazy), but journaling and writing poetry in my free time. It became very therapeutic. It helped me to express on paper what I couldn’t verbalize out loud. It helped me to process difficult things that were hard to talk about with others. God spoke truth to me through words. Over the next several years I would experience many joys and trials, but I kept writing. I never thought about sharing any of my writings. The thought of that terrified me. Fast forward to 2015. The Motherless Daughters Ministry was starting a blog, and I felt a nudge to be a guest blogger. This scared me, which is why I knew the nudge was from God. Reading blogs is one thing, but sharing something so personal is another thing. I shared anyways. With each blog I wrote, I was encouraged to share more. I began to realize that sometimes God gives us words that are meant to be shared. We may think they are only for us, but He can use those same words to speak love and encouragement into someone else’s life too. I loved being a guest blogger, but the thought of starting my own blog kept popping into my mind. Back in October 2015, I was praying and asking God what my “next steps” should be. A few days later, this blog from “To Write Love On Her Arms” came across my news feed: “You Should Write” I honestly laughed out loud and told God I wish He was that clear when answering all of my questions. And with that, I moved forward and starting learning about the wonderful world of blogging. What “next step” is God leading you to take? If you don’t know, ask Him. He’ll tell you when the time is right. He might even answer you through someone’s blog. :) |
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