Find What You’re CREATED to Do

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Have you ever wondered if what you are doing is truly what you should be doing? Whether it’s your current career, relationship, or church family, we all have a set plan for our lives, and it’s our job to seek out what that plan is. Cindy Fiala, Family Ministry Pastor at Preston Trail Community Church, shares her story of finding God’s plan for her life and how she has stayed the course through the years.

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4word: Can you tell us about your role at Preston Trail Community Church?

Cindy: I’m the Family Ministry Pastor here at Preston Trail. At its simplest form, I champion the team that leads the next generation. It’s my role to guard our specific DNA of creating Baptismpicenvironments where we point kids and students to Jesus through weekend and mid-week programs, and also inspire parents to influence their kid’s everyday! We are passionate about family, in fact, as a church, we’ve identified “family” as our one word through which we filter everything we do. We recognize that we have limited time to influence the spiritual life of a child or student, but studies show that parents have in excess of 3000 hours every year to influence and pour into their kids, so it makes sense to us to put our energy into helping resource parents. I have the privilege of leading a dynamic team who is passionate about families and what they do!

 

4word: Has God always called you to be part of a church team?

Cindy: Since I was a young mom, I’ve been part of a church team as a volunteer. You might say that I volunteered and worked on the side! It has truly always been the place I felt my heart called to and found the most passion and joy in. It wasn’t until I was in my forties that I literally wrestled with God over what I now understand as a “call” to full-time ministry. I talk more about this in the video below.

Seriously, I could give you the list of why I shouldn’t be doing what I’m doing and yet in God’s grace, wisdom, and providence He made His plan clear, and I stepped out in faith. It’s been the best years of my life vocationally!

 

4word: Have you found it easy to stay faithful to God’s calling for your life?

Cindy: For sure! When you are doing what you were created to do, every day is a blast. That doesn’t mean it hasn’t had its difficult days or leadership challenges. In fact, I would say having my feet firming planted in this “calling” has been the impetus that has propelled my faith deeper and deeper. There are regular moments where I simply have to trust God and ask for His wisdom, discernment, and grace to lead at this level.

 

4word: How can someone begin seeking God’s calling for their life?

313157_342942445784942_888442893_nCindy: Ask. Listen. Wait. If we all are honest and truthful with ourselves, we have a yearning or a deep desire to be or do something that seems completely out of reach, crazy or maybe even indescribable. If we will ask God to show us what He created us for and listen, wait… even through the silence, He will begin to reveal and open His plan and desire for us. Do you have a yearning or that “something” that you would love to do, but feel that you’re unqualified for? That might just be God whispering in your ear. Habakkuk 2:3 in the Message Bible is a verse that was and is powerful for me… “This vision-message is a witness pointing to what’s coming. It aches for the coming – it can hardly wait! And it doesn’t lie. If it seems slow in coming, wait. It’s on its way. It will come right on time!” Those are powerful words, encouraging words for anyone who is seeking God’s direction and call!

 

4word: What tips do you have for “staying to the path” once you’ve discovered God’s plan for your life?

Cindy: Trust it. There will be days that you wonder if you heard correctly, when you’ll question God’s plan and path. We are so hard on ourselves, especially as women. We compare ourselves to other women, we can get in a bunch about being a woman in a man’s world, etc.… But at the end of the day, each one of us, male and female, slave and free, Jew or Gentile, we are all one in Christ (Galatians 3:28)! We have all been given “every spiritual gift you need… (1 Corinthians 1:7)”. Do we believe that God has given us every spiritual gift we need to do what he has called us to do? He lives in us and equips us!

We also have the responsibility to be continual students; to read, network, get the right people around the table at the right time. Don’t be afraid to ask questions and seek wise counsel. Put yourself in study groups, mentor groups, reach out to others across the nation/world in your trade. Don’t allow yourself to be limited. We don’t have to be the smartest, or the wisest, but a good leader knows the right questions to ask of the right people.

 

4word: Have you had any godly mentors in your life that helped get you to where you are today? Have you been able to be a mentor to someone in return?

ChurchugandaCindy: Part of my role as the senior woman on staff of a large church naturally is to mentor young(er) leaders. This is probably one of the most rewarding parts of my position…and it has a circular effect; as I mentor and come-alongside other women, I grow in my own life. It’s a beautiful thing. I’ve had several women in my life that have mentored me, and I dare say, I wouldn’t be where I am today, or who I am had they not invested in me. These women have not only helped to develop me in my faith, but they have given me the courage to follow God’s call on my life to be a leader. As a 50-something, I’m still looking for people to pour into me and mentor me. Can we ever stop learning? I don’t think so and honestly, these last 10 years have been the best years. I can only imagine what the next 10-20 years hold through obedience and guts!

 

4word: Any parting thoughts for readers who might be struggling to find God’s calling for their lives?

Cindy: Wrestle with it. Ask God pointedly, don’t be afraid of the “what-ifs” and don’t compare yourself to anyone else. God made only one “YOU” and He has created you for a purpose! Being a Christ-follower isn’t just about eternal life (which is an incredible reality we will some day see), but it is about living life on purpose, with an almost reckless abandonment. God wants the best for you. The first time you jump off of the high dive, your heart is pounding, and you just don’t know if you’ll be able to do it, but the second time it’s just pure fun and exhilaration!  And here’s the secret…

God’s plan for you is today. As we say, “yes” to what today holds, the tomorrows unfold. What is He asking you to do today? Maybe it’s helping with human trafficking efforts, maybe it’s saying “no” to the girls-night out to just “be” with your kiddos and husband. Maybe it’s spending 30 minutes with the odd couple next door. I don’t know, but if you listen… you’ll know and you’ll find your calling.

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Let Cindy’s words be an encouragement to you, no matter where you are in life. If you’re just starting to seek out God’s plan for your life, take courage and continue to press toward God’s calling for you. If you’ve discovered what God has in store for your life and are currently walking His path for you, stay strong and seek out opportunities to mentor those around you who may be struggling.

 

How did you find God’s calling for your life? How have you stayed true to His path for you?

 

Cindy Fiala is the Family Ministry Pastor at Preston Trail Community Church in Frisco, Texas. She leads a team of dynamic leaders who have passion to help kids, students and families to live their full potential as they find and follow Jesus Christ. One of her greatest passions is to see ministries integrate and combine efforts for the sake of helping families be all that God created them to be. She and her husband John are parents to three plus two and are stupid in love with five-and-a-half grandlittles.