“With so many projects, events, trips and to-dos wiped from the landscape for an indeterminable amount of time, there is an en masse “re-imagining” happening… New waves of art and creativity and multi-field innovation that perhaps would never have been borne out of ordinary circumstances… What could YOU contribute, generate, innovate? What does your personal renaissance look like? Why not dive in?”
~Brooke Lidgerwood
Photo by Kelly Sikkema - @kellysikkema
I am the queen of dreaming big. Of getting excited and launching on a new idea… and then losing momentum and eventually ceasing on my good intentions because I can’t keep up. I’m a dreamer, but I struggle with the follow-through. It’s not hard for me to stick with my commitments to people—I’m actually really good at that. But I lack discipline when it comes to doing things for myself. As a classic Enneagram Two, I can go out of my way for others but leave my own soul to starve.
Six years ago, I had a deep desire to point people to Jesus through the written word. I’m an encourager by nature and I had been journaling since I was a teen, but I didn’t know a thing about blogging—other than it seemed the perfect way to share my writing. Before I knew it, I was throwing blog title names to my sister Natalie for feedback, and Grace Along the Road was born.
Photo by Simon Rae - @simonrae
I wrote about once a month. I was vulnerable. I shared what I called “heart stories.” But after a few years, my dream of reaching people seemed like a distant reality. Without meaning to, I slowly faded away a little over a year ago. I stopped posting content—but I couldn’t stop writing entirely, so I began to micro-blog on Instagram instead.
Then in April 2020, I read those powerful words by Brooke Lidgerwood, and they struck a chord deep inside me. When the spread of Coronavirus forced us into social isolation, my prayer was to not waste my time. I desperately wanted to focus on and deepen my relationship with God. I also wanted to do all the things I didn’t have time to do—brush up on my piano skills, catch up on sermons and podcasts, cook often and read some great books. Writing? I set the thought aside.
But a couple days later, a lightbulb suddenly flicked on. A few weeks earlier, I had signed up for a free trial of Skillshare, a site packed with courses on almost any subject you could think of. I could take a course on blogging. I wouldn’t waste the time given to me. I made an internal commitment to myself and to God that I would follow through and do this with excellence. I felt God reignite my dream of writing, that I was being given another chance. And this time, I wanted to prepare. If He gave me this love of writing in the first place—and I have never doubted that He did—God could help me do this well. In the matter of days, God blew the door of possibility wide open for me.
So, here I go...again. In some ways, I’m still the same girl as I was six years ago. I have the same flaws and the same vulnerable heart. And yet, I have evolved, and continue to evolve. Since I was young, I’ve wanted to proclaim the goodness and love of Jesus with those around me. God makes that possible. I sit here with an open heart and my hands ready to type. Let a new chapter begin!
Photo by Avel Chuklanov - @chuklanov
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