One of the bright spots in our new year has been welcoming a new member to the Going Beyond team. After volunteering with us this fall, our new friend Nicole has stepped into a full time position at our ministry.
I love her for so many reasons – her professionalism, creativity, innovation, vision, servant’s heart, love for the Lord and endearing vulnerability – a trait that you’ll see shining through in this post. You’ll also not miss the fact that she is an EXCELLENT writer.
We are so grateful to the Lord and look forward to partnering with her in ministry with the goal of blessing you.
You’ll love her first blog post because its message will ring as true for you as it does for me. I can so relate to her in every single way.
So glad to have you Nicole! Looking forward to serving Jesus with you!
Priscilla
The new girl. Newbie. Rookie. New kid on the block. However you want to call it, I am it. All fingers are pointing towards me and that is my queue for the awkward wave. Everyone knows that feeling. It’s the fleet of butterflies in your stomach on the first day of middle school (more like horror, but I digress). Or walking on stage towards a podium that is illuminated by that oh-so-bright spotlight to give a speech for the first time. In a nutshell? Fear and doubt.
I didn’t start off with these feelings. Not at all. I had spent the first few days settling in to my new position, getting acquainted with my new routine, and making sure all of my post-it notes and pens were neatly lined up.
I was ready!
Shortly thereafter, the dust started to settle. I slowly looked around my environment and at my neatly organized desk. That’s when it hit me. Hard. I am sitting in a new office, in a new desk and with new co-workers at a new job. This is definitely considered new territory for me and with that comes new challenges, alot fumbles, and two left feet. I am clumsy enough as it is!
Breathe!
The waves of excitement that I had just a day prior were now turning in to a flood of fears. It was almost paralyzing. My thoughts and emotions took an unfortunate nosedive. Wait a minute, did they really mean to hire me? I mean are they positive they know who they hired? Someone please check the paperwork! What if I am not anything at all of what they were expecting? What if I fail and make a mistake and they see that I am actually (gasp) human?! My mind had become a playground for doubt and fear. There was a field day going on up there. Just. Loud.
I tried to hide it as best as I could. I put lip-gloss on my smile and mustered up just enough excitement to quell the fears from showing externally. I had a new job to do.
You see, not too long ago, my office was a colorful classroom with paint-stained floors, papier-mâché covered desks, with marker on sections of the walls not already covered by art-work. And on any given day it was a guarantee that I would be covered in one, if not, all of the above. I was an art teacher with the privilege of teaching kindergarten through eighth grade students the joy of art. I loved it! It was my safe-I can do this in my sleep-mistakes in art are still considered art-pleeeease do not eat the glue-comfort zone. But God had other plans. A new season was soon to begin and I was being removed from my comfortably well-made bed.
Isn’t that just like God sometimes? Pulling us out of our comfort zone and placing us in new, uncharted territory. It is the perfect foundation for growth. I found myself fidgeting around a bit because I was no longer in my safe place. What I did know was that this was where God was leading me. I also knew it was my responsibility to be willing to follow regardless if I felt 100% qualified or not.
This new season is different from my last and is going to bring new challenges, but I am reminded that this is where He has placed me. He will equip, provide, and take care of every single detail because this is a part of His well-laid out plan. It has been several days working here at the Going Beyond office and it has been so great! Regardless of whichever season we are in we can rest comfortably in His hands knowing that this is where He has placed us. He takes care of the rest! And let me tell you, there is not a better place to be than within His will.
He is really good at finding the unqualified, knee-knocking individuals to use because He knows He will receive all the glory. He will leave no room for us to boast in ourselves.
I really want to encourage you today to be faithful to the gifts that God has given you. Be faithful even if you don’t feel qualified for the job you have been given. He has dreams for you bigger than you can image! How great is that?? (Ephesians 3:20) He already has a plan for the unique gifts that He has entrusted you with. Trust me when I say, His plans always look better than the ones we create for ourselves! (Jeremiah 1:5)
Are you feeling ill equipped or unqualified in the current position God has placed you in? My friend, you are in the right place. Go ahead and position yourself. Step up to the plate and stand strong girded with faith and confidence in His word because it will never fail. He is known for writing the best stories!
We all know that familiar verse Jeremiah 29:11. I love how The Message version puts it – I know what I’m doing. I have it all planned out—plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for.
Man.
Count me in.
