Today marks the 100th post in blog I began almost two years ago.
As much as I love to write, this is the first time in my life I’ve been able to do it with such regularity.
There was one repeat post during the past two years and one week I missed (thanks, Hurricane Matthew), but other than those two exceptions, it’s been about 1500 fresh words every single Friday for 100 weeks in a row.
I’m sorry, but I think I need a T-shirt for that.
And for all of you who have told me I need to write a book, according to publishing standards, apparently I’ve already written enough to fill three. They just happen to be in weekly chapters.
Oh, and they’re free. You’re welcome.
So true to form, I thought I’d tell you the story of how it all began and some of the lessons I’ve learned along the way.
About three years ago I was working for a publication that I wasn’t writing for. My position was part-time and writing was never part of my job description. I just figured that at some point it would naturally evolve into that.
Yeah, not so much.
This publication had plenty of writers and plenty of other work that needed to be done (which I honestly really enjoyed doing).
But I was frustrated. Creatively and spiritually constipated. I was not doing what I was put on this earth to be doing. And I started to get grumpy.
Lesson #1: If you aren’t doing some version of what God created you to do, you will be unhappy. He wired us that way to push us toward our purpose. After all, if you’re comfortable, you won’t change anything, right?
So I did what all mature Christian people do when they’re not getting their way: I whined.
Lord, they won’t let me write!
What do you mean they won’t let you write?
I have this job in publishing for heaven’s sake and I’m around other people’s words all day but some of them should be mine. I’m supposed to write!
Yes, you are. So WRITE.
They won’t let me.
They won’t let you write? Or they won’t PAY you to write?
Uh, well, both.
Mmmm, nice try, kiddo. First of all, your calling and gifts have nothing to do with getting paid. If I’ve called you to do something, that just means you’re supposed to do it. Not necessarily that you do it for a living. Secondly, you’ve been reading My book long enough to know that My followers don’t always wait until someone LETS them do something. They just…DO IT.
So You just want me to…start writing?
Yep.
But God, I don’t have TIME. You know with the two jobs and the three kids and Brad. When would I have time to sit down and write?
Well, you have time to play on Facebook for hours.
Ouch. Solid burn.
I’m just saying you have time. I would not call you to do something without providing you the time to do it. So DO IT.
Lesson #2: There is ALWAYS time to do what God created you to do. You may have to get rid of some of the things He HASN’T created you to do. But there is always enough time for your God-given purpose.
Okay, fine. I would write. I’ve always read that real writers write every day, no matter what. So I resolved to get up 30 minutes early on weekdays for the sole purpose of writing. And I was very proud of that decision.
I was even bragging about it to my former supervisor at First Pres when we were catching up in his office one day.
“Bret, check it out: I’m gonna get up 30 MINUTES EARLY EVERY DAY to write. Isn’t that cool?”
His response was not as enthusiastic as I had hoped. He nodded half-heartedly and hit me with, “Yeah, someday I hope you’ll be that excited about getting up early to spend time with God.”
Grrrrr.
FINE. I would get up an HOUR early: spend the first 30 minutes reading the Bible and praying and the second thirty minutes writing.
I made a little nest on my part of the couch, put up a bulletin board with lots of inspiring quotes and pictures and went for it.
I hired a buddy of mine (professional photographer and website designer) to take some legit pictures of me and put together a basic website.
I would write a weekly blog. And I titled it Easy Like Sunday Morning, because for church-going Christians, Sunday mornings are anything but easy. I figured it was a good metaphor for the Christian life: Not easy.
I would share my life, my struggles, my stories and what God was teaching me through them. And maybe, just maybe somebody would read it. And if not, well, at least I was being obedient and doing what I was created to do.
Lesson #2b: Just like you don’t do your calling for money, you also don’t do it for accolades and applause. Those things may come at some point, but not the starting point. You do it because God told you to do it. Period.
My first post went live on January 16, 2015. A hundred weeks ago.
I got subscribers, Facebook likes/shares/comments. And I also discovered Google Analytics, which quickly began to determine whether or not I was a success or a failure that day. My ego quickly became tied to numbers and approval.
Lesson #3: Don’t do your thing to please the world. Do your thing to please God. The world is fickle. What it favors and celebrates is a moving target and you’ll lose your mind trying to hit it. Chase God’s goal for your life and nothing else. That whole ‘seek ye first’ thing.
After a few months, I got my first invitation to speak at a conference. I had been writing and teaching my own Sunday School material for a couple of years at that point (to a class that rarely had above five people show up), so I was well prepared for this unexpected blessing. And I loved it.
Lesson #4: Those times of obedience that look fruitless to you are preparing you for your next season. Go with it. And watch the horizon with hope and expectation. God wastes nothing.
Also, people began to email me. What I had posted that day turned out to be EXACTLY what they needed to hear because of the situation they were currently in. People would tell me their stories. A stranger out in cyberspace was being trusted with deep longings, private pain and secret dreams. And I treasured each interaction.
Lesson #5: There is nothing new under the sun. We all face different versions of the same struggles. And true community happens when someone tells their story and someone else calls out, “Me too!” Your story may be someone else’s lifeline. Don’t be afraid to share it.
The blog posts kept going out and the speaking invitations and emails kept coming in. And without my knowledge, God began to piece together a new calling.
Right after New Years 2016, I felt a fresh restlessness in my heart. I had just helped a couple of friends talk through some obstacles in their lives and come up with a plan to overcome them.
Coaching. Life coaching. That’s a thing, right? What exactly is that? Helping people find and live their purpose? Um, yes please!
I did some research on the industry and discovered a perfect fit with my gift set. Relationships. Encouragement. Cheerleading. Accountability. Life change. Being the match that finally gets thrown onto the bonfire God has built in someone’s soul that was just waiting for that first spark to set them ablaze.
Lesson #6: Be willing to grow and change. Don’t let God’s previous word to you keep you from following the NEXT part of His plan for your life. You may end up someplace you wouldn’t have dreamed of in a million years. But it was part of His plan all along. He knows what He’s doing. Go with it.
So I spent a few months getting certified and took an insane leap of faith.
And now I’m a life coach. I help people dig out their truest identities and deepest dreams and we make a plan to get them living the life they were created to live.
Lesson #7: You following God’s plan for your life never happens in a vacuum. You were given gifts to benefit others, make a difference and bring the kingdom. It’s not just about you. It never is.
And that’s how it happened. When God and I started this journey, I was frustrated, stifled, trapped in a box of my own making, exhausted from trying to follow rules that I made for myself, not sure who I really was or what I was supposed to be doing.
And now I’ve got it all figured out.
(I hope you laughed out loud right there. I sure did just typing it.)
Now I’m living my purpose for this season, brave enough to take risks (or smart enough to bluff), less concerned about people pleasing and more concerned with God pleasing, stretched, terrified, exhilarated and most days, feeling very fulfilled.
And this blog that started as a creative outlet for myself has become much more about you. In coming days, you will see more posts that will not just stop at inspiration (“Oh, that’s nice”), but be a call to action (“Oh, here’s what I need to DO”).
To live YOUR purpose.
Thanks for reading, my friends. Thank you for your encouraging words, your invitations into your lives and churches and organizations. And the weekly accountability you’ve provided to keep me doing what God created me to do.
I love you all. Thank you for walking this journey with me. And just know that it’s been a holy honor to walk yours with you.
Let’s keep going.
