Visions from the Lord – In to Greater Things

Recently, I was asked to share about the vision I had for my blog.

I find that word “vision” intimidating,

After preparing to tell my story, I realized that it really was quite a journey, and I want to share it with you in hopes that it might help someone else bring about an idea they may be having.

Some people get big, fully developed ideas, and they move forward and put them into motion all at once.

things happened a little slower for me.

Many years ago, I was inspired to start writing, but I was not completely sure about what I was supposed to write about. I wasn’t sure if it would write music, lyrics, or something else.

I knew it was something I was called to do, so I began to write down all kinds of things.

I wasn’t sure exactly what direction to take, so I began by taking notes during my devotional times, and journaling about everything. I wrote prayers, prayer requests, things I was thinking, and a lot of my thoughts and feelings. I thought maybe someday I would write down my testimony or tell my personal story somehow, so I just started recording all sorts of things.

After a couple of years of writing pages and pages of personal words, I found myself going through a difficult time in my personal life. The isolation I felt during that time was real. I had people I could turn to, but for various reasons, felt like I really couldn’t be completely open with anyone. I knew that I could always turn to God with all my pain, and all my hurts, which is what I tried to do, but it wasn’t always that simple.

It wasn’t always easy staying strong in my faith.

I knew that God was real, I knew that He was faithful, but I still longed to connect with someone who knew what I was going through. I had a hard time working through the way I was feeling, including some of the things I wanted to know about God. I felt alienated from my usual support group, and I felt so alone, wishing I had someone to talk to, someone who I could trust.

It was during that struggle that I realized I probably wasn’t the only person feeling this way.

I read many books about people who faced adversity, listened to a lot of great inspirational music, spent time reading my Bible and praying. I learned a lot about myself, and I learned a LOT about God. Eventually, things started to improve. God WAS faithful, and he never left my side, ever. He even had a plan to use what I’d gone through to help other people. On the other side of that struggle, I felt an aching in my heart to reach women who were walking through a tough time in their lives, but had no one to turn to.

This was the first real solid step on my path to this blog….

“What makes you FEEL the most?”

I had heard people in church talk about causes that inspired and motivated them. I had watched so many people go on missions trips, organize ways to help others, go out and help different groups of people, but never felt called to those things.

Now, for the first time, I felt like I had a deep desire to reach out to someone.

Even at that point in time, I never put the pieces together. I never connected the need to help with the inspiration to write. I still wondered if someday I would have an opportunity to help someone like me.

“Be patient, but not complacent”

I knew that I didn’t have a plan to reach this group. I knew that in the past, God had used experiences in my life to help other people, so it would likely happen this time, too.

So, I thought I would wait for the right opportunity to reach out to “her.”

The unique part of my story is that, to reach someone who was struggling like I was, I would have to know she was hurting, when she felt like she couldn’t talk. I knew that I wanted to reach “her” but wasn’t sure how I ever would know who “she” was.

In my waiting for the right moment, I kept on writing, because I still felt that need too.

I kept writing down what I was feeling, what I was thinking, all those things I had learned in that difficult time in my life.

“Prayer”

My wanting to reach this quiet group of women continued. I was so sad, because I knew that others were walking the same path I had walked, that path I had been on knowing that God was going to help me, but still feeling so alone.

I continued to write and realized that if God wanted to use me to reach out, I needed to stay connected to him.

It is hard to walk through life sometimes, but it is even harder doing it without God’s guidance. Prayer had become very important for my healing.

“Movement”

At some point, the word “blog” finally showed up in my journaling. I had no idea even what a blog was, but over the next few months, I started to realize that I was being called to start one. The only way I ever realized the vision that God had for this blog was to start. I started talking to people, researching things online, learning whatever I could to figure out what to do next. A Bible verse that was important to me in a time of struggle came to mind when I was thinking about stepping out into this world of writing. Speaking with His disciples, in John 14:12, Jesus says:

“…He will do even greater things than these….”¹

The verse was a reminder to me many years before that there was so much more ahead of me than what I was seeing, and the phrase “greater things” just gripped my heart in a way I cannot explain.

When I finally had to come up with the name for the blog, I realized that I already had one.

This was me, stepping out in faith. I was stepping out, in faith, stepping “In To Greater Things.”

It was tough, and it took 6 months from the day I started creating the blog to the first post on the website. All the while, I worked on learning how to use social media in a way I had not before. I had a pile of ideas for blog posts, but spent the time building the structure the way it needed to be.

I even got some paint on my hands creating the look for the site.

If there was any advice I could share with anyone out there who thinks there is something they’re being called to do, I wish to share my experience.

What makes you “feel” the most? Is it something that motivates you? Is is something that makes you sad? Is it something that excites you? Do you see something that you can make better? What is it that makes you “feel?” If you don’t know, be patient. I didn’t know either until pretty recently, but now it has my whole heart.
Be patient, but not complacent: You don’t have to find all the answers today, but you will find them. When you do, it might just be time to move forward.
Prayer = stay connected: If God is calling you to do something, the best thing you can do is be praying about your next move.
Movement: Don’t be afraid to step out. Be mindful, but when you feel the right thing to do is in front of you, it’s a good time to move forward

And finally-

5. These three keys really helped me:

remember why I started–

It got tough. It’s not always easy knowing which way to turn, and I found out, in the digital world, there is a steep learning curve! Reading my old journals reminded me why I started in the first place. I wanted so much to reach “her” because I remembered how hard it was for me.

God will show up

If you’re doing something for Him, and you are working on something He has inspired you to do, He will never leave you.

God is faithful, He knows the best way, and He has a plan.

The last truth that I remind myself often is-

It’s God’s Baby

For me this is very comforting. This blog has my name on it, but ultimately it is a labor of love that I am doing because I feel called to do it. I feel like it is something that I need to do to help people. I am going to take care of it and try to do the very best job I can because it is God’s project. I never thought I would love doing it this much, but it just goes to show that you don’t always know what you want until you find it.

I have found an incredible home here and I’m so glad that I stepped out in faith when I did.

I have no idea where this will lead me and I don’t know how many people will read these words, but I will be here, working on it the way I feel I should, because I am leaving it all up to the one who inspired me to start it. He will use it in whatever way He chooses, and I will just keep on going.

DISCLAIMER:

This blog is written by the site owner, Christine DuRoss, and is my personal opinion. It is not intended to be taken as health, medical, legal, marital, parenting, personal or financial advice.

I am not a professional counselor, coach, doctor or health professional. I am not a legal professional nor should my views be consider legal advice in any way.