Why Worry? God Doesn’t Know Impossible

“Most of us are far too tentative when it comes to the will of God. We let our fears dictate our decisions. We are so afraid of making the wrong decision that we make no decision. And what we fail to realize is that indecision is a decision… We need people who are more afraid of missing opportunities than making mistakes. People who are more afraid of lifelong regrets than temporary failure. People who dare to dream the unthinkable and attempt the impossible.”

--Mark Batterson, Wild Goose Chase, Chapter 7, pages 144 and 145

I like to think that I could be brave.

You know, I think I would be willing to put myself at risk for someone I love, that I would sacrifice my life for my faith, that I would be willing to give up everything to maintain my integrity.

I like to think that I would.

Honestly, I don’t know. I don’t know if any of us can be sure of how we would react in those kinds of circumstances. But, here’s the thing.

We may never face those kinds of situations, but often we are faced with little decisions that are equally as important. Unfortunately, we don’t give them quite as much thought.

Throughout his book, Mark Batterson encourages believers to follow the Holy Spirit into a bold, adventurous life of obedience, self-sacrifice, even danger, in order to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ.

What have I done that has been bold or adventurous for the Lord? How have I sacrificed? Have I ever faced danger? Am I being obedient to God’s calling in my life?

These are personal questions, questions we all need to ask ourselves.  The answers are also very personal. God’s plan for each of us is unique, and no two plans will be any more the same than any two individuals.

I have not been called to be a missionary in Africa as was my father-in-law.

Instead, I was called to be a stay-at-home mother of four ornery sons.

Is one more adventurous than the other? Did one require more sacrifice than the other? Was one more dangerous than the other?

Perhaps. Still, I was obedient to what God called me to do… then.

Today, one son is married and out on his own. One son is in Heaven, and my time of “raising” my two youngest is quickly drawing to an end. As the seasons of our lives change so do our callings.

What is God calling me to do now?

I know that God created me to write and to speak. I began speaking God’s word before I could write a proper sentence. I knew that I was meant to be a writer by the time I was eight years old. Throughout my life that has taken different forms. I worked as an editor for two national magazines. I helped ghost-write, edit, and even design books by other authors. I have written more magazine articles than I can count. Most of those things were done for a paycheck. While I have always been thankful for those opportunities, I never felt that they were really a product of my calling.

Two years ago this November, fresh on the heels of my son’s death, I felt God telling me, “It’s now or never, Tricia.” With the support and help of my husband, my mother, and my sisters, I started The Girls Get Together in an effort to support and encourage women to grow in their relationships with the Lord and each other. I have not always known exactly what that is supposed to look like. I just know that the women in my life have always been such a blessing, and I want to be that same kind of blessing to others.

Honestly, I am not sure if this venture can be considered a success or failure. In the realm of business, I don’t think Christy Wright’s Business Boutique would use it as an entrepreneurial model. I haven’t earned very much at all. In fact, most of the time, I’m in the hole.

It gets very discouraging. It’s not just about the money. Everything is counted these days. Even in writing, publishers want to know about your platform. They ask questions:  How many people visit your website each day? How many social media accounts do you have? What is your reach? How many followers do you have on your Facebook page? How many email addresses do you have?

In case you don’t know, The Girls Get Together doesn’t have “big” numbers. 

For the past few months, for reasons that are completely oblivious to me, an average of one person a week has unsubscribed from my email list. On any given week, I am “lucky” if about 20 of my 260 subscribers even open the message. Because of Facebook algorithms I don’t understand, fewer and fewer people are seeing my posts. Therefore, fewer people are reading my blogs. I get excited if I have 20 people visit my page on any given day.

Sometimes it gets so frustrating I wonder why I even bother. No money, few readers. Why does it matter? Why do I pour myself into this? Is it just a waste of money, time, and energy?

Then, I remember the questions I am supposed to be asking.

Am I being obedient to the Lord’s calling?

Am I making a difference for the cause of Christ?

Yes, I know I have been called to write and to speak. I know I have been called to teach women. And, praise God, I know I am making a difference because there is one person who tells me regularly that what I am doing means something to her. (And just to clarify that person isn’t my mom! Although she is a big supporter as well.)

I have big dreams. Some of them are so big, so “unrealistic” that I tell them to very few. They are what Batterson calls the “unthinkable” and the “impossible.” Will they come true?

Who knows? Only time will tell.

Until then, I have been encouraged by Batterson’s words and the Biblical examples he presents in Wild Goose Chase. He reminds me that fear should not hold me back, that there are things worse than failure, and that “impossible” isn’t a word in the vocabulary of the God I serve.

The Girls Get Together is my Wild Goose chase.  I hope you have one too.

Because, as Batterson sums it up, “ultimately it’s not about you. It’s about the One who wants to write His-story through your life.”