I’ve been doing a lot of reflecting this past week. It’s been one year since our family moved to North Carolina.
It wasn’t necessarily in my plan but when my role in a fellowship placement didn’t seem to be working out, I knew Washington D.C. wouldn’t be our home. For years, I had felt drawn to North Carolina, even before ever visiting the state. I don’t know if it was too many sitcoms of small town living (clearing throat...Gilmore Girls and Hart of Dixie) or the heat that I craved (I hate Chicago winters) but the south, specifically North Carolina, always seemed appealing to me.
As I said good-bye to D.C. and headed towards Chicago where my boys had been staying to finish the school year off with my boys, I decided to stop in North Carolina to check out some of the towns and neighborhoods. I fell in love with Chapel Hill immediately. As I sat outside of the Carolina Coffee Shop that sunny, warm morning sipping my slow drip coffee and people watching, in my heart, I just knew this was “home”.
Logically, I had every reason to go back to Chicago. In Chicago, I had a plethora of family and friends, not to mention my kids’ dad.
I had nothing in North Carolina. I had no friends. No job. No family. No one to help me with my kids if there was an emergency. Nothing.
Nothing but….
a gut feeling.
As I drove through North Carolina and headed back towards Chicago, I did the one thing I knew to do and that was pray. I prayed and asked God to show me the way. Was I to return to Chicago or was I to take a leap of faith and move to North Carolina?
I’ll never forget how beautiful the sunset was that night. I was listening to a church sermon via podcast and the message was from 2 Kings. Do people even read the old testament anymore? Just kidding. It was the story about the widow with two sons who had nothing. Nothing but debt… Nothing but disappointment…. Nothing but…..
She had lost everything and was about to make her last meal with her sons whom she was also about to lose because of debts. I believe in those cultural times, if she couldn’t afford to keep them, they would have to go work for someone else to pay her debts and she would be left alone most likely reduced to begging. So Elisha, a prophet sent by God, comes to her house and asks for something to eat. She tells him she has nothing but a little bit of oil. He tells her to collect jars from neighbors, to take the little bit of oil she has and to begin to fill the jars with oil till she can’t anymore and then to sell the jars of oil to pay her debts and keep her sons. And she takes the little bit of oil she has and she the fills the jars with little bit of oil and you know what???? She keeps filling them... jars and jars of oil. Miracle!!!!
And Pastor went on to say, what is it that you have a little of that you can expand? What skill can you use? More importantly, what’s the dream you thought was dead that God wants to REVIVE?
You’re Nothing But is meant for more...
I’m getting super vulnerable here so bare with me... in that moment, I felt like that message was directly for me. I was the single mom with two sons (like the widow) with no job, plenty of debt and Nothing But.
Nothing But…..a gut feeling. Nothing but...a dream to inspire and help women transform their lives. Nothing but...a desire for God to use me.
And in August of last year, I (re)launched Woman Warrior. My Nothing But...
What are you discounting that can be used? What story aren’t you telling that needs to be told? What gift of yours are you hoarding instead of sharing with the world? What’s your Nothing But?
Is it a gut feeling?
A gift you have?
A dream?
What needs to be revived in your life?
I started by telling you about how I’ve been reflecting on our one year move. You know the conclusion I came to?
It was one of the BEST decisions I have EVER made in my LIFE!!!! Like really, one of the ABSOLUTE BEST!
I love it here. My kids love it. We’ve all grown as individuals and a family. I relaunched my coaching practice. I’m connecting with people on a deeper level. I’m getting supported by others. I’m making friends. I’m writing. I’m making a small but impactful difference. I’m using my gifts. I’m gaining more and more clarity on where I should be putting my efforts, on what’s serving me, on where I still have room to grow, on what makes my kids and I happy. And that clarity is helping lead my everyday actions.
And it all came from a gut feeling, a Nothing BUT and a leap of faith (aka Action) and in my belief, a whole lot of divine intervention from the man upstairs.
I’m here to offer some encouragement. What your discounting in your life is the thing that can be used for good. Don’t give up. Have faith. Take action. And go for it. You might just be surprised to see how things end up.
If you need a little bit of extra help in navigating your nothing but and turning into something more, check out the Courageous Living groups and 1:1 coaching. Always here to support you in your life journey.
Love, Faith & Courage,
Ruby