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Making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ.

Ephesians 1:9

Happy almost-May! We are as shocked as you are. Hopefully, this month has helped strengthen your resolve to set out on the journey toward your future influence, set in motion by God’s divine plan for your life. Because we’re all human here, we knew it would be important to talk about the logistical side of things: how do you get to your destination?

To start this important conversation, we opened the month by laying out a very important foundational fact: when God calls you to something, He includes a time of preparation. The story of Moses’ journey to becoming the person to lead the Israelites out of Egyptian captivity is a fantastic example of preparing to properly follow God’s call to take action in your life. If you’ve felt a nudging to be more of an influence and use your voice and talents to further God’s kingdom, you’ve probably had a moment or two (or more!) where you wondered, “Lord, why me…and how?” Did the stories of Paul and Moses bring some clarity about what to do with that wondering?

When you are in a period of preparing, it is incredibly beneficial to include the opinions of other people that you trust and know hold your best interests at heart. We aren’t meant to go through life alone, right? While you are the most in-tune with how you operate, people on the outside will be able to provide insights on things you might not even be aware of about yourself. We shared a previously written interview with Kristen Stockton where she shared the importance of setting up a personal board of directors and utilizing them well. She also shared the different roles you should have represented on that “PBD” to make sure the feedback and guidance you’re receiving it well-rounded. If you don’t have a group of trusted friends or colleagues that you’ve pulled advice from, we hope that Kristen’s words inspired you to start thinking about forming your own personal board of directors!

Even with all the preparation and all of the best advice and insights out there, it’s important for you to come to terms with a single, simple fact about this journey you’re preparing to embark on: you aren’t in control of it. Patricia Asp expertly talked about how she came to that realization in her own career and life. But instead of being afraid of that fact, she learned to embrace it, to thrive because of it. When you realize that you don’t hold all the answers (and that you don’t HAVE to), life suddenly becomes full of freedom and beautifully orchestrated seasons of intense trusting in the Lord. And this journey that you are following God’s call and stepping out on could be just that season.

As we get ready to dive into next month’s conversation about preparing for your journey, don’t forget the period of growth you invested in this month. Embrace the time of growing, open your ears and mind to the insights of others, and lean into the role of someone who doesn’t have all the control and answers and is perfectly happy with that. God placed this call to Journey 4word in your heart, and if you want to see the amazing opportunities awaiting you at the end of your route, continue to take time to learn and trust in His process.