RISE, A Modern Guide for the Purpose Driven Woman Summer 2014 | страница 26

a woman of faith into a group of other women I didn’t
even know.
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What would it look like for us now if she left? She was our
inspiration; the model of a woman that we all sought to
emulate and now she was stepping down. What on Earth
were we supposed to do?

I remember the first meeting vividly. They all seemed so
well established, well versed and put together. It seemed
like each girl sported the finest clothes from the likes of
Anthropology, not to mention the giant sparklers on that
finger. Who was I, just some girl off the street looking to
get involved? A girl without a clue where she belonged or
who she was but that was okay, because these girls would
be the starting point of who I was supposed to be.

Going home that night I was devastated to say the least.
Was I supposed to go find another group or fade back into
oblivion? Pondering my next step, I felt a tiny inkling in my
heart offer up an answer; I was supposed to begin leading
the group.

After that first meeting, I was entranced. Finally, I didn’t
have to do life alone. There was a network of powerful
women standing right beside me cheering me on, calling
me up and telling me who I was going to be; although at
the time I thought they were absolutely nuts! Those same
ladies are still doing great things and I admire each and
every one of them for it. As the weeks continued, my heart
began to fill with hope and determination to reach out to
ladies who didn’t have the type of support system I did. I
became an advocate for community and inclusiveness. If
only we could make every woman who walked through
our doors feel special, oh how we could change the world.

The doubts in my mind started immediately but just as
they entered, I texted our leader to get her thoughts and to
my dismay, she confirmed what the inkling was telling me.
While I was scared, she was delighted.

And that’s when my calling began to take shape.
It was a regular Fall evening when the leader of our women’s group announced that she would no longer be able to
continue leading. We were all shocked and emotional.

Wait . . .
What? Me? There was no way!

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As we step out into a vulnerable place, a seed is planted
into our hearts. In order for that seed, or any seed for that
matter, to develop any further, it has to be planted in fertile
soil and then watered consistently. The fertile soil is a place
of positivity, inspiration and growth, while the water serves
as the outside opportunities that lead us closer to our next
step. Without the watering, it doesn’t matter how great the
soil is, the seed will never have what it needs to sprout. The
environment in which we intentionally place ourselves becomes the soil for our calling and the opportunities (water)
are what challenge us to sprout.