“Do not fail to enter every open door, or be held back by a feeling of unreadiness. I Myself am your preparation. I will give you the needed grace and wisdom for each moment as it comes, and you will rejoice in the victory. For I will overcome timidity, and I Myself will displace inadequacy. This is My work. I will do it Myself through you if you allow yourself to be a channel for the flow of My Spirit.”
“Seize Each Opportunity”, Come Away My Beloved
I have been asked more than once, “What did you do to prepare yourself for having kids?”
The people who are asking are looking for answers like, “We read lots of books”, “We saved up a lot of money for a few years”, “We made sure we had experienced life without kids first”, “We went to every birthing and parenting class we could find”. All of those things are incredibly great for preparing and making sure you’re ready to welcome little people of your own flesh into the world. Some people really do need to prepare in every way because it’s just who they are. But me? I am not that person. I don’t really welcome a lot of help unless I ask for it. It can become an unhealthy level of pride, especially in moments when I know help is exactly what I need, but my stubbornness overshadows it.
Outside of parenting, I cringe and shrink back at the sight of unreadiness, timidity, and inadequacy. I hate being wrong, I hate failing, I hate feeling like I am unprepared. I don’t know why I can jump head-first into having a baby and not flinch. But I do know that when it comes to other things, things like speaking life into people I don’t know, discipling other women, talking to people about Christ, I am terrified to fail. What if they get upset with me for bringing up Jesus? What if they laugh in my face? What if nothing ever comes of my conversations with others? What if..?
Truth is, I am rarely prepared. I am an introvert, and being quiet is so much easier for me. And the thoughts of inadequacy thrive in my mind when I allow them. But, friends, those truths are nothing compared to real Truth. To the Gospel. To my God. There have been far too many times when opportunities have slipped away from me because of my feelings of inadequacy, unreadiness, and timidity. There is never a moment, though, when God is unprepared. He is my preparation. He is my courage. He is my adequacy. How unsuccessful am I when I rely only myself to disciple, encourage & love on others. When He is my vine and my root, what can keep me from taking opportunities? Only myself. Me. I am the one blocking open doors and loosening grips.
This is all God’s work. And when it truly is, when our life is at the mercy of the vine we are grafted into, what can keep us from walking through the open doors before us?
[If you’re wondering what inspires me, the devotional Come Away My Beloved by Frances J. Roberts has become one of my favorite ways to dig deeper into God’s love + discover His hopes for me. It isn’t like other devotionals–it is like a book full of love letters. I’m always, always challenged. If you’re looking for a unique perspective into God’s heart, I gladly nod you in that direction!]
JANELLE DELAGRANGE 