The real work has just begun

Almost a week ago we gathered together to learn, worship, be inspired and encouraged, convicted challenged and the growth began.

The real work has only just begun!

There’s always this tug of war when growth begins to happen. I don’t know if it’s our natural response to change and possibly pain that puts us almost in the stalled position.

I feel kind of numb to be honest. Perhaps, it’s because I know the work that is to come and so I’m beginning to gear up for that work or maybe, just maybe there some fear inside of me.

I hear whispers, lies that fill my head with things like, “you have nothing to say, who would listen to you? what do you really know about… Lies from the pit of hell, from the deceiver himself. He tells me that I’m not good enough, strong enough, equipped enough, woman enough, to step forward.

And so I’m stalled a little. Thank you friends for listening, because just speaking these lies out loud helps me to see the fallacies inside of them

The truth is that I am a daughter of the King, I belong to the one who’s already written the story that I get to live! He is preparing me for what he has prepared for me and I believe it’s mentoring.

Last week I was in Austin at the IF:Gathering. God is so good! The way he orchestrated things was truly amazing. Two fabulous women that I’ve had the privilege of walking alongside of, who I consider daughters in the faith,  all of us were assembled in the same home. Not only that special gift, but also someone who is walked alongside of me and mentored me was also in this grand gathering. If that wasn’t enough I brought someone with me to visit these dear friends. Someone who is now a daughter in the faith to me and I am in a mentoring relationship with. We’ve had countless hours of mentoring and loving and doing life together.

I felt as if I was Paul with Silas and Timothy. It was beautiful to see these relationships all together representing the years of celebrating our life together. God whispered, “Jann this is what I have for you, this is how I’ve been preparing you, this is how I will continue to prepare you. Don’t you see the plans that I have for you?”

I’ve asked him to spell things out for me because I’m a simple gal with the simple mind and I get confused if this is what God wants for me. Often I cry out, “please make it clear to me Lord”  he answered my prayer on this wonderful night!

So ladies thank you for coming alongside of me and loving me and encouraging me last weekend to step out in faith and trust God in this area.

Preparing a generation is no easy task , but I believe it this that God has called me to.  Asking him to show me his plan to show me what’s next, to lead me and guide me is the prayer of my heart.

So I’m going to ask you as well, have you been in a mentoring relationship? Either as the mentee or the mentor?

I would love to hear your stories of how God has worked in mentoring. Joys and sorrows while coming alongside of other believers.

This is what I know, God took a girl who knew nothing of the faith and brought people alongside of her to mentor her on what it means to follow Jesus. They taught me what it looks like to raise a Christian family, they challenged my thoughts and my actions to be more a reflection of Jesus.

In the next couple of blogs I’ll be reflecting on those people who have invested their very lives into my life and in turn what that means for us investing in those that we have the privilege of coming alongside of.  I praise God for the family of faith.