Friends-
It’s guest post Friday. (yeah!) I am so excited to introduce you to my friend Laura who I have never met in real life, but she is a wonderful God sized dreaming friend. I cannot wait for you to read what she has to say. It sure did make me come alive. Please make her welcome, leave some comment love, and go by and visit her webpage. You will be blessed!
Laura Rath is a follower of Jesus Christ, a wife, mother, writer, blogger, and works in church ministry. She continues to grow daily in her relationship with Christ and loves the faith journey she’s on. Laura is a monthly contributor for 5 Minutes for Faith, and can be found at Laura Rath ~ Journey in Faith, where she shares from her heart and encourages others in their walk with the Lord.
Twitter: @LauraJRath
I was so excited when Jennifer asked for guest posts from members of Holley Gerth’s God-sized Dream Team. Although she couldn’t see me (thankfully), my reaction was a little like an excited school-age child…Oooh, oooh, me, me! I want to do it! I settled for I’m interested in a Facebook message.
I had some ideas, but as I thought about the theme here at Coming Alive Ministries, I realized that I didn’t really know what my dream was when I started out on Holley’s dream team months ago.
My dream has always been to be a writer, and a couple of years ago, God brought that dream to fruition as He led me to start my blog and an online Bible study for women. I’d always wanted to write, but I never imagined I’d be writing for women…and now I was.
I guess I thought my dream was complete. So, as the team got started writing about their dreams, I kind of felt like a fraud. My dream was already taking place. End of story. But Jennifer’s theme of coming alive has me looking back, and realizing that God had more planned. (He’s so cool like that!)
Early this year, I felt God urging me to take a break from the online studies. I was worn out. I knew I needed a break. But now, I was also confused. I didn’t know if this was a short-term break or if I’d hosted my last study. To be honest, I wondered why He was taking it away. Had I done a bad job? Was I only supposed to do it for a couple of years? What was next?
I was so physically and emotionally exhausted at the time; I didn’t force the issue with God. I knew He had His reasons, and I was too tired to argue with Him. So, I rested and I waited to hear from Him. I took Holley Gerth’s weekly writing challenges, and over the weeks, I started to realize there was more in my heart than my dream of writing…
I want women to know and experience a personal relationship with Christ. And I want to encourage them in their journey.
Growing up, I didn’t know what that meant…a personal relationship with Christ. I prayed to God, but knowing Him as my Savior, my friend, and my constant companion—I didn’t know what that was or what it looked like. This has been my faith journey.
I love looking back now and seeing where God was capturing my heart. There are the little ways He was getting my attention…subtle ways, so I couldn’t resist. And there are the impossible-to-miss ways He’s walked me through one valley after another.
The journey continues today. Writing will always be a dream of mine, but it’s only a means to the end. I realize now that so much better and more fulfilling than writing is getting to know my Father…the way I’m leaning on Him, learning to trust Him in all situations, and my continuous conversations with Him. When my writing comes from my relationship with Him, it fills me in ways nothing else does. And if He chooses to use something I wrote to reach another of His children, well, that’s a bonus.
Writing today for Coming Alive Ministries feels like coming full circle…like I’m coming alive in Him, while God is using this opportunity to say See Laura? I’ve got this. It’ll happen. All in My time.
In Christ,
Laura
Jenn,
Thank you so much for letting me post here today! I'm so excited for the opportunity, but even more than that was how your theme of coming alive sparked me to look back at the past months and see God connecting the dots for me. I love, love, love when that happens!
Thank you for your encouragement in my writing for letting me join you here in encouraging others.
To God be the Glory!!
In Christ,
Laura
Great post Laura – so fun to see you here!! 🙂
Laura, I LOVE hearing about your journey — especially how you're learning to wait on God. Your testimony of God's faithfulness is a great reminder to each one of us that we can 100% trust Him. He WILL bring it to pass. One step at a time. God's continued blessings to you and everyone reading this post!
Kristin and Cheryl, Thank you so much for stopping over and leaving comments!
Cheryl, your kind words about my testimony touched my heart. Thank you and God bless.
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Wonderful Laura…God is so good. And we know that, yet it can be so hard to trust Him. We just have our ideas about how things should work, what our dreams fulfilled look like, but He knows what's really best for us and that's His desire for us. His best. Bless you!
Isn't it amazing how He fulfills the desires of our heart even before we fully realize what those desires are?
Thank you Elise. I couldn't agree more. God's plans are so often more (and different) than what we can see for our future or even imagine. We just have to trust Him and wait on Him, and that can be really difficult for us impatient people. 🙂 But, I'm realizing that He's teaching me patience too.
"For we live by faith, not by sight." – 2 Cor 5:7
Amen Elizabeth! It's hard to imagine how He would do that, until we realize He's done it.
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