Today I want to blog a life update not just to “show and tell” but in hopes to inspire! I have recently taken a leap of faith in moving forward with a dream of mine. This has not been an easy decision and has taken so much strength and fearlessness to be brave enough to move forward! But on the other side of the decision I am nothing short of completely excited!
Years and years ago the Lord put the growth of other people in my heart. Even as a teenage girl I led a middle school bible study simply because I wanted to ensure that those girls could experience growth in the Lord and be touched by His love. I have exercised my heart’s desire to see others grow in so many ways. Many of which, to me, could be counted as failed attempts. This feeling of failure has at times caused me to lose faith in myself to carry out this hope for others. But thanks to God, although I doubted this God-given desire in my heart, the desire never doubted me.
Shortly after my son was born, a couple of years ago, my husband and I were walking with the stroller and began talking about where we were in life and where we would like to go. We talked mostly about Nic and how his career could be used for the Lord. Then we began to talk about how his career would and could actually be used by both of us to reach others on the deeper level that we desired. We started to envision ourselves “life coaching” others. Empowering, strengthening, encouraging, guiding, & leading other people to grow personally, spiritually, and professionally if they so desired.
This conversation was one in which gives hope and enlivens the soul and we needed it at that time in our lives but the truth was we were far from being in a place where this could be a reality on the level God intended. It wasn’t shortly after this conversation, where vision was released & identity was touched, that my world fell apart. (It’s clear now that the enemy didn’t like that we had acknowledged a glimpse of our purpose) My mental and emotional health was struggling and I had come face to face with the realization that I was so far far far away from who God intended me to be. Since then I have been on an upward climb, sometimes very steep and tiring, to lay myself down, overcome strongholds, and ultimately walk into my authentic self. The self that God called me to be not the self that has been shaped by my past, my pain, my lies, my doubts, and experiences. I began to fight to become the person that was created and purposed to be. As I have come through these tough season and am still continuing to shake off the dust from them, that vision of coaching other people into their true identity and dreams was reignited so strongly in me.
I pushed the thoughts aside knowing we didn't have the money for training and certification and that I barely had the time. But I couldn’t shake it. The Lord kept showing me examples of people, especially women, that were taking risks in their careers. Whether purpose, time, or money motivated them they were nevertheless brave enough to MOVE. As I began to become inspired by all these women a wonder stirred in me if I should make some of the same leaps that they were making, like sell Mary Kay or another product in order to bring more money or time to my life. Who wouldn’t love more money and time right?! Especially when it could pave the way to dissolve my excuses for not becoming certified in life coaching. But then the Lord took me by the shoulders and what felt like looked me straight in the eyes and said “Kira why not you? Why not YOUR dreams? And why not now?” I was pushing aside what He put it in me and entertaining the idea of other fillers. I didn’t need a filler though, I had God. He had given me direction. I’ve never had a life coach, I’ve never even known one personally, I’ve had no example but I had a heart and a dream that He placed in me. And all these people around me were brave enough to take risks but I wasn’t even faithful enough to take a leap into what was birthed in me by the Lord. So I brought it to Nic and we prayed. I began to look into the program so we could have the details about what exactly we needed to believe the Lord for and what it would take to really make this a reality. The next round of training was starting almost immediately and with my husband’s support, we decided...this was for me, the time was now, and God would have to provide. So in complete faith I signed up to begin my training to become a life coach through a program called Dream Releasers by leadership expert Dr. Sam Chand.
So why am I telling you all this?! Not to boast about myself and my decision but to encourage you to keep bringing your focus back to your true identity and your true purpose.
Whether you know what your purpose is or not, you have one.
Whether you have screwed up tremendously in life or not, you are still called.
Whether you’ve already tried to live it and failed, God’s mind hasn’t changed about you.
Whether you believe it or not, you are fit for YOUR purpose.
But it starts with becoming not doing. When you begin to become the person you dream to be you will also begin to see the assignment you have been called to do. I believe with my whole heart that within each of you is an immense beauty, a unique design, and a true gift that reflects the nature of God.
We too often find ourselves tip toeing around our dreams, filling our time, using our money, and giving our energy to things that don’t align to our purpose because of fear, excuses, and doubt. Hoping that when the time is right our dreams will just fall in our laps without struggle. But anything that has value takes work, dedication, and diligence (aka struggle) to create. And so it is the same with our purpose.
So why not you? Why not your dreams? And why not now?
I had to fight for my destiny and my identity the hard way so that I could truly know how to bring others through their obstacles. Aiding them in strength to arrive at their specific dreams and true identity. I didn’t go through struggle so that I would be disqualified for my purpose, I went through struggle so I would be qualified for it. For this is my heart in life coaching, to sit across from anyone in the world and to coach them into believing in who God has created them to be and moving them through the obstacles that are keeping them from where they desire to be. Healed, whole, and abundant.
Let my story be an encouragement to stomp out all your excuses from stepping forward. The week that I had to make my first payment to Dream Releasers (remember I said we didn't necessarily have the extra money to fund this) we received two unexpected checks & God supplied to us the exact amount we needed to fit the bill. You may have heard of God’s provision before or maybe this is your first example but I want to shout this out because it is real. He is good and when you walk in His will He will provide for it. I don’t know how the rest of the money will come, I have no clue who He will use, what He will use, what promotions are coming, what unexpected gifts or bonuses are coming, or all out miracles. But I am choosing to trust Him. And this word is also for you, if you will choose to walk in His direction He will surely pave the way!
