Have you ever felt like you had clear direction to do something but then you were met with obstacle after obstacle? It’s so easy to start thinking that maybe you didn’t hear God correctly. Or maybe you conjured something up that was not really His plan, but yours. This is how I started to feel a few months ago.
I knew, without a doubt, that God told me a couple of things last year. He was sending me a message to “go.” I applied to so many jobs in Germany thinking this was where He was leading me and my family. And by the end of April, I gave up. I didn’t feel the urging anymore. Maybe I heard Him wrong?
But, the very next week, I received a totally different message. Read here for more details about that! It was a wild week, to say the least! My coaching journey began in May of 2019. I knew I was called to coach!
But the curve balls starting coming in September. I got an interview for that very last Germany job I’d applied to back in April. (Totally unexpected!) Then in October, I got a tentative offer. Then, finally in December, I received the official offer and notification that we’d be moving to Germany in January!
In the midst of the chaos of working full time, Christmas gatherings, establishing an LLC, creating a website, purging our house before moving, selling cars, selling the house, and trying to say goodbye to friends, my husband and I came down with the flu (or was it COVID-19?). I rushed to complete my practicum and turn in my certification package even though I felt terrible and knew it wasn’t my best effort. I felt like I HAD to check off that box before our house got packed, no matter what.
We landed in Germany on January 22, 2020. What a blur. There are honestly so many things about those first few weeks that I don’t remember. I even wrote my birthday wrong on my driver’s license form. (And didn’t realize it for a whole month!) I’d say we learned all about culture-shock!
In February, I found out that my certification package was not sufficient to become a Certified Professional Life Coach. It was a punch in the gut. (Even though I knew I rushed it and didn’t complete everything the way I knew I should have…I guess I had hoped it was “good enough.”) And to make things worse, I wouldn’t have my computer or files to try again until at least mid-April.
Sadly, the lies of the enemy crept in: “You are not good enough. Your work is not good enough. You are not qualified to coach people. What were you thinking? You heard God wrong. You can’t coach from Germany anyway. Just forget about it. You’ve been REJECTED again.”
Next, a worldwide pandemic set in and my mental state got worse. Thankfully, I knew what I needed to do–seek God and worship Him anyway. Worship, after all, is the word He gave me for 2020. (I know that is NOT a coincidence!) Worship–no matter what. So as I began to press in again and read my Bible and sing worship songs and thank Him daily for all the things for which I’m grateful, the fog began to lift. I embraced my feelings and allowed myself to cry and mourn my expectations–the ones I’d created in my head but clearly were not going to be my reality. But instead of wallowing in those feelings, I left them behind. I chose to continue to seek God for answers and direction.
He is so faithful! Guess what He showed me? Psalm 2:11:
“Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling.”
I asked God what to do and He answered. As I read this verse, the Holy Spirit zinged my heart! He wasn’t telling me to give up and move on. He was telling me to keep going–afraid. If God has called me to coach, then I’m not doing it for me–and clearly I can’t force my own timeline or agenda. I’m doing it to serve Him and to obey Him. And I’m going to do it even if I’m afraid of failing and being rejected.
So that’s when I had to choose to take my next step. I pulled myself together and completed my certification package for the second time–full of fear, but so full of faith! And this time, I was confident. Even completing my assessment was so much easier this time. Even though I had to do it afraid, I decided I’d do it again and again until I passed. Because it was worth it. Obedience is worth the blessings on the other side.
Going after your dream isn’t a cakewalk. It’s more like a wild goose chase! No one ever says, “walk towards your dream.” The saying is, “Chase after your dream!” Some parts may be easy. But when it gets hard, keep going.
When I got the news that I am officially a Certified Professional Life Coach, my heart could’ve exploded! I can’t even imagine if I would have given up. My joy is back–because I’m following His plan for my life.
He doesn’t call the qualified. He qualifies the called. I am now qualified because God has taken me on this wild goose chase journey. I can’t do it on my own or even on my own timeline.
I’m SO ready for this next chapter. I have no clue what it will look like, especially while living in a foreign country in the middle of a pandemic, but I trust God’s plan!
Do it WITH fear and trembling. Take your next step.
If you are unsure about what God is calling you to do, I’d love to help you discover your God-given dream. There is something for all of us! If you are ready to invest in your next step on your own wild goose chase, let’s schedule your 20 minute clarity call today. There are people waiting for your to step into your purpose!
