I recently went through some old messages I wrote years ago. They were so bad.

Isn’t it funny how looking back can be both good and hard?

Maybe God is calling you to do something that feels big. You have a learning curve and that’s scary. You KNOW you’ll fail in one way or another. You know the areas where you feel afraid. If that’s where you are, I’d love for us to sit across from each other and see what God can do with all of that.

I looked back and I could clearly see my inexperience, but I could also see how God used every part of it. Let’s talk about that, okay?

1. When we fail, we grow

We can’t grow if we don’t include failure as part of the process, no matter what God is leading you toward. No one knows everything about all things. It’s not possible. I put in the effort in those early years of following God’s call. I learned all that I could. Those women who would hear the message — they mattered to me, because they mattered to God. Yes, I cringed a little as I read through my old messages, but I also realized that they were born out of hard work, out of good intentions, and a desire to obey and follow God’s invitation over my life. I was learning. I was saying yes to God and that delights his heart.

2. When we fail, we launch

My knees literally knocked those first couple of years when I stood on stage. I’d sit in the front row, calm and cool in the outside, but my heart racing inside. I didn’t always hit a home run, but somehow God used it anyway. That’s the power of the anointing. That’s the power of God’s purpose. Being dependent on him, rather than in myself meant we were partnering in this adventure.

Every time I “failed” — which simply means I did all I knew how but the results were uncertain or I noticed areas where I still needed growth — that wasn’t failure at all; it was faith. Faith in that calling. Faith that I’d learn a little more next time. Faith that God could fill the gaps. Faith in the anointing that could only come from God.

3. When we fail, we succeed

God’s kingdom is upside down in so many ways, and this is one of them. A few years ago I waited backstage for a speaker. My job was to make sure she got through the dark backstage safely to the green room. I laughed so hard as I listened and waited for her. She was amazing. She had this ability to make women forget their problems and laugh their way to faith. It was a genuine gift. When she came offstage, she said quietly, “I don’t think I did very well.” This stunned me. “You were amazing,” I said. “I loved it so much. It didn’t just make me laugh. It made me think.” She smiled, “Well, I skipped over a chunk of material by accident,” to which I replied, “And no one knew that but you.”

Isn’t it funny how hard a filter we put on ourselves when it comes to our calling — as a parent, as a woman, as a friend, in ministry, on a stage, when planning and carrying out an event, in relationships and so much more. When the truth is our failure is only seen by us, because in truth it’s not a failure at all. It was obedience and courage and trust, and God uses that in ways we can’t truly understand.

If we refuse to fail, we refuse to grow.

So those early messages I was talking about? My critical eye 20+ years down the road can see what I didn’t know at that time, but my eyes of faith see a road paved with courage, with intention, with a heart to learn, and with a Heavenly Father who cheered me on in the “failures” and in the growth moments. He also plucked bits and pieces and tucked them in others’ hearts in ways that only he could do.

So, let’s get practical friends:

✔️ Embrace the learning curve that comes with that call

✔️ When you “fail,” look for ways to learn from it

✔️ Don’t underestimate what God can do

✔️ Cheer someone else on who is just behind you on the same journey

What is God asking you to do? Have you been holding back because you think you have to know how to do it perfectly before you begin? Take that first step, and then the next, and I’m cheering you on.

Just for you

Let’s get practical. Some times when there is a learning curve, we need encouragement or resources. Here’s a few just for you. 

🎙Listen to Thursday’s episode of More Than Small Talk — Episode 235 “Upsie Daisy”. Don’t let this fun title fool you. This light-hearted conversation soon fell into heart issues as we talked about what it feels like to fall down, but the power of getting back up.

📚In my book, Come With Me: Discovering the Beauty of Following Where He Leads, I share a chapter on “Whispering Yes When You Want to Say No.” It’s designed to help you when you long to say yes, but all the things that could go wrong are shouting in your ear.

🎥 Did you know there are free video studies for you or your study group over my book, Come With Me?

I hope you’ll check those out today. 

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