Are there moments you sense a stirring of your heart, a feeling that there is a greater purpose for your life or that God is leading you to a new season?
When God began to awaken my heart (and others) to the dream of women living and giving freely in His image, it seemed too big an idea and too great a dream to possibly set in motion. But with three pivotal questions that resoundingly guided our decisions and actions, He began to put feet to the dream.
Perhaps God will use the same questions in your life as you pursue the dream He has given you.
What is Your heart in this, God?
We began the journey by consistently and simply asking God to show us His heart for those we felt called to reach. We sensed that unless we saw people as He sees them, we’d be disconnected from His body. How could we serve as His hands and feet, if we failed to connect with His heart?
So we began to pray each week, “Lord, show us your heart for women.” It sounds simple, but this prayer was profoundly powerful. Like spring cleaning for the soul, the windows of our eyes were cleaned to see God’s perspective and our hearts were overcome with the depth of His love for people.
Who else shares this dream?
God brought several of us together with a shared dream of reaching women with the message of living a generous life. At the time, we didn’t realize the vital lifeline that our collaboration would be in order to follow this calling.
One by one, through phone calls and serendipitous meetings, God began to assemble our community. We discovered that it was a lifegiving place to share stories and strategies. We began to know one another’s strengths and differences. A community that embodies trust, fidelity and hospitality isn’t easy, but has been worth the cost a hundred times over.
What’s in our hand?
The dream God placed in our hearts was so big it, I’d describe it as excitingly scary. As we experienced progress in prayer and community, we were brought to a place of action.
At this juncture it’s common to “throw a Moses.” If you remember Moses’ story, he gave God multiple excuses for not acting. God patiently responded with how He’d already equipped Moses to go forward.
Our excuses ranged from, “We are just a group of women praying” to “We don’t have the resources to do this.” Like He did of Moses, God asked us, “What have I already placed in your hand?” The answer: relationships and knowledge.
As we began the faithful application of what we had, God brought all the additional resources needed to move forward. Our responsibility act in obedience and He would own the outcome. Getting a taste of God’s glory by taking the journey has been even more exciting that the dream itself.
Six years later, Women Doing Well has ignited, resourced, and connected thousands of women with the message of generosity. And there’s more God has called us to do.
Where is God leading you? What dream has He placed in your heart? Pursue His heart with these questions and discover great joy.
