Getting Uncomfortable in 2014: How a Crazy Idea Became a Reality
March 14, 201420 Comments
As you guys know, I have been on a “God Adventure” in 2014, with my only goal this year being to pursue Jesus with reckless abandon. And so far He’s challenging me to get uncomfortable in every last area of my life.
Like inspiring me to get in an RV for almost a month and travel the country to speak to women and promote I’ve Never Been to Vegas but My Luggage Has. He gave me the idea, I presented it to my friend Jaime, and by the next week He had provided us with an RV free of charge, a tour sponsor, and our first tour date. At Lakewood Church. As in, Joel Osteen’s church. As in…the BIGGEST church in the country. And then we booked seven more events across the U.S. And as I type this, I am riding on the RV en route to our first date. What started as a crazy idea is now a reality.
I can honestly say that what I know of God (and I am by no means a “God Expert,” just a novice who longs to draw near Him and know His heart more and more) is that HE. DOESN’T. PLAY. When He wants you to do something, He drives you crazy til you do it. And then when you rise up and meet His plans with YOUR obedience…MIRACLES happen.
I’ve never been away from the Nashville, Tennessee area for longer than eight days at a time. I’ve never tried to live on an RV. My knees shake and my heart races at the thought of standing up in front of hundreds and even thousands of women night after night and hopefully getting out of the way and letting God speak through me (public speaking, while I’ve done it many times, never seems to become any easier for me). But this living on the edge with God thing…wow. It’s worth the risk. It’s worth the fear. It’s worth acknowledging that I am a weak, imperfect vessel and admitting my shortcomings and allowing Him to use me anyway…because as His word tells us, His strength is made perfect in our weakness. So I have resolved to myself, and to Him, to do it afraid. To chase after His presence and His will and His ways and to trust that everything else will work itself out. I don’t know, as a matter of fact, if I will ever be able to go back to a normal, ho-hum, polite Christian existence after this. Because once you’ve pursued Him through throngs people to grab hold of the hem of His cloak and He has turned to face you and acknowledged your faith by performing great miracles in your life…the idea of fading back into the crowd and going back to business as usual just no longer appeals. I want more of Him. I want more of this wild adventure of leaping and trusting Him to catch me. I want more risk and fear and potential failure. It sounds crazy…but I’m serious. Because it’s only when you’re willing to walk on the edge with Him that He can TRULY show you the view.
I don’t know how to wrap this up, really…except to say I hope you’ll join me. I hope you’ll do something bold and daring and unexpected that makes people look at you with doubt and disbelief and accuse you of being crazy (I’ve gotten that more over the past month than ever before in my life.) I hope you will step out into the unknown. I hope you’ll find something that scares you and resolve to do it afraid.
And if you want to join Jaime and I on “The Sass, Class, & Compassion Tour”…visit www.SassClassCompassion.com to see if we’re coming to a city near you. And stay tuned to my blog and Twitter page and Facebook page, etc…because we’re turning this God adventure into a “Virtual Roadtrip” that we’re inviting you into with us, even if you live on the other side of the planet.
What areas of your life are you being challenged in right now? What big, bold step are you longing to take? What can I be praying for you about as you take your own “God Adventure”? Sound off in the comments below!
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Life doesn’t always look the way we want it to look. In Mandy’s upcoming book, Turn Toward the Sun: Releasing What If and Embracing What Is, you’ll find encouragement to live in the moment, sit with your experiences, and trust God with the unknown.
I have followed you got so long. Your blogs and the letting go and now both you’re books. I was with a man for 3 yrs and all I wanted was for him to love me. He was never going to tho. I was close to suicide thinking I can’t live without him. My mom was babying me saying why can I do? I asked get to buy me your book. You opened my eyes up. Made it so much easier to know other people have felt this way. But knowing it does get better every day gives me the ok. I’m okay that u don’t have him now because I am finding myself and I’m having friends and having fun. I’m taking a trip soon. Just me and my daughter. Out binding time all attention on her. We will pamper ourselves and enjoy spring break. You have made me feel empowered. Like I can do this and I’m finding myself along the way. Thank you and God Bless you Mandi.
I finished “Never Been to Vegas” and wept at the end. I started an email to you I never finished not sent because I felt it was silly and crazy; then I read this post and I know that this is God saying I need to put just do it. The past 8 years I’ve spent wrestling and trying to come to a new view of God because of being terribly hurt and spiritually abused by a church that I had literally grown up in and attended all my life. I lost all my friends and majority of my family when I left the church. My life still feels so empty after all these years although I have healed some what. After reading your book, I’ve been praying that God will do something in my life so I can find meaning and purpose again. I don’t know how or when or what, all I know is seeing God’s work in your life and story makes me want to have that faith and a work too. Thank you for sharing your story! I’ll be the one on the other side of the planet following your virtual road trip.
Lots of love,
Eunice
I love this letter, it speaks to me in so many ways. I’m so excited to watch this God adventure you’re on right now! What am I believing for? I believe God wants me to move back to Florida to take care of my parents. There will be so many hoops to jump through, but my biggest challenge will be a joint custody arrangement. I believe God will arrange it in the best way possible, with the least stress. A peaceful, agreed upon way to resolve the issue. I’d like you to stand with me for that, please. I am trusting it will all work out perfectly in God’s will, not mine or anyone else’s. Thank you! And God bless you every terrifying, thrilling, exciting step of the way!!!
Congratulations! Amazing what God will do when we trust Him and move out of our comfort zone. Thank you for sharing and reminding all of us that God has a purpose and a plan for each of us and we just need to get quiet to do what He says. I wish you much success!
See you at the TOP!
My Sister’s Alabaster Box
Hey Mandy, crazy awkward girl over here, so glad to have gotten the chance to meet you tonight. You’re such a blessing and inspiration as always. I suffer from anxiety along with you, and it’s really hard, but I’m glad you press on and do what you do because your reaching so many lives. I ask that you pray for me to also seek God with reckless abandon and find out who I am in Him and his plans for me, and also to realize the man that I feel is my soulmate may not be my FOREVER. I have struggled with this, thinking your first book would get me over him haha, but the heart doesn’t always work that way, though we are friends, I ask for prayer to be able to let that part go, to realize that what God has for me will be for me and will come in His perfect timing. Love you and what your doing, continue to bless people with your ministry 🙂
Thanks Mandy for this inspiring post, you have done it again. Actually, since the beginning of this year, my spirit has been stayed particular the scripture, anywhere I turn I see a word from that scripture speaking to, recently, I found out within that I had misplaced my priority, and I need 2 redirect all my energy back to God. I love what you are doing and I believe God, to help me refocus.
With my upcoming birthday around the corner on the 17th, I decided to go out of the box and be uncomfortable for a change. And get a tattoo of “FAITH” with a cross running through it on my wrist, so everytime I look at, I will never lose faith, I will never lose hope and I will never lose despair that my dreams and/or prayers will come true. On a side note that was the mooost annoying feeling in the world and I will never do it again but I enjoyed the experience..Love you Mandy and your Team
Oh, Mandy..I have so enjoyed relating to you through your posts. My spouse left last year after 14 years and although it completely broke me I have found thats when God can use us the most. When we come to him completely broken able to let go of all the plans we had and pursue his plans. I am so completely in love with Jesus and have found great comfort in knowing he promises to never leave us or forsake us. I wake up excited to talk to him and read his word to find out what he is going to say to me today. I am totally surrendered willing to do whatever and go wherever he leads. When you present yourself to him in this state I can totally agree with you, he will lead you to do some amazing things. I grew up in a small town and have never left home for more than a few nights on vacation. I am a nurse, God has opened doors and I now have plans to spend the month of Africa in Tanzania on a medical mission. I started taking guitar lessons (and I was not born w a natural gift for music). God has put a dream in my heart to stand with those sweet souls I will meet in Africa and sing a praise and worship song in their language. I don’t have many details worked out as to how this will all work out by June, including financially, but I do know I serve an amazing God who always brings us through what he leads us to!
Hey Mandy, I’m readying The Single Woman right now and loving it so much. I’m a 53 year old single mom and have been “single again” for 12 years now raising 2 kids on my own. I’ve struggled with wanting a partner in my life so badly that my heart would hurt at times. But, I’ve been through a lot and waiting on God now. Your book is helping me so much to be happy right where I am in life!!! One of my goals this year was to get closer and closer to God. I don’t even want to meet anyone right now…LOL.. I’m doing 2 different Bible studies, getting involved in a woman’s group at a church ( this group loves the Lord so much) and reading christian books and spending lots of time with God and last but not least, reading your book! I feel great! I’ just read about your tour and I’m so excited for you!!! I sure hope you’re coming close to me…I’ll be praying for you on this awesome adventure. Maybe, just maybe God will have an adventure for me too!! He”s done some amazing things for me.. I’ll do anything for HIM!..Have a great time and know God is with you every step of the way… keep em laughing too! LOL
Mandy, you’re such an inspiration to so many! God truly moves us to do things that are beyond our wildest dreams. We may not understand them at the time, but what a blessing they are in our lives! I will continue to pray for you on this new journey in your life. Thank you for doing the same for all of us!
I want to experience God like that,be willing to step out, but I don’t know what to do. I love to we rite,preach and teach.
so so proud of you for taking that step of faith and trusting G-d to meet you.you have my respect girl .G-d also called some very famous others that where pretty scared and unsure of themselves too .moses/David /Abraham etc…. you are in good company .i know they are the great cloud of witness that is sparing you on to Victory right now .the skies the limit.Reach for the moon .if you miss it .youll hit the stars for sure 😉
my prayer request is to draw closer to him everyday also with unabandon faith that he is more than enough to see me thru .thank you Mandy .hoping you will come to Nashville with the tour .havent looked just yet .G-d speed
Just amazing! I love this and every word of it resonated with me. I’m not traveling in an RV anywhere, but as cliche as it may sound, I have embarked on a journey within myself and became willing to visit places that I never wanted to return and travel to new places that I’ve never been. It’s scary and exciting and difficult but above all, rewarding. I feel like I am actually living, and while the fear speaks to me often, I remind myself that God has not brought me this far to drop me. I absolutely love all of your writing and hope you will be coming to Philadelphia even though i don’t see it on the list, I’ll keep checking!
Great post. I too would love to take the challenge to experience God in the same way. I’m currently working on a project but I’m asking for his direction. My prayer request is to draw closer to him and hear his voice vs. others.
Mandy,
Thanks for an awesome post! So excited for you. I am a single girl of three years, and have been walking with the Lord since then. It has been INCREDIBLE! I have now gotten to the point where I say, “what’s next God?” All I want is to know is HIS will for my life. He took me to Haiti and it was AMAZING. Now he has placed the Peace Corp on my heart. WOW! I am also looking into Hospice and travel nursing. I have passion to serve so many and can’t wait to see what’s next. Have I mentioned I have no idea what next is? It’s all about putting feelers out in areas He has placed on my heart and letting Him choose. Scary and exciting all at the same time. Am I making sense?
Tiff
I am being challenged in the area of surrendering. (Mandy I e-mailed you about this). I am black and so a little sensitive to racist comments. I am forgetting to look at Jesus. He was mocked, and yet He remained silent. So, God has revealed another weakness in a boat filled with many that I am working on. It’s o.k. though. I should be good to go in another 50 years! 🙂
Just so some people won’t get confused, I know that Jesus died for my sins and His blood covers all. Phil. 2:12 says, “…work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.” To me, this means to work on my issues and not to take Jesus’ sacrifice for granted.
Just stumbled upon this blog posting today and I KNEW God set up the circumstances for me to read this. I am aspiring to be a lingerie designer and to one day have my own lingerie boutique(s). The thing I struggle with is, I believe that No one around me believes in me enough as a person, to support me or to trust that I will be successful. I would love that support. But I now understand, after attending church today that God supports me. He always have and He always will.
Hi Mandy!
First off, I just want to say how much I hate to read but I absolutely LOVE reading your books and blog! I just finished your latest book and it made me happy, sad, confused, angry, and inspired…all at the same time. You have tremendous faith, Mandy! God is using you…he spoke to me through your book. I am 26 and have been single for the past 7years…it’s slim pickin’s in my East TN neck of the woods. One half of the county is in and out of jail, on drugs, or the other half of the county is family. That’s beside the point! I struggle with relationships. Most of my friends are single parents, married with kids or engaged…and I’m over in the corner like I’m in time out. While I am genuinely happy for my friends, I can’t help but wonder what God has in store for me. Here lately, I have been experiencing a stirring in my soul. One part, I believe is conviction of my sins/transgressions and other part maybe answering prayers. I have been praying for changes in my life, major changes! Job, social life, and home life just to name a few. His way will not be my way but I know his way will be the right way! Pray that I can be still, listen, and be of total surrender unto him.
I totally agree I’m 28 years old and I cannot wait to do more mission work only this time it will be in other countries my mom however is not keen for me to go in dangerous zones due to the stories she has heard on the news I understand this and no matter how old I get my mom woorries sometimes, she doesnt always act caring like that so sometimes I’m taken back by it and I think of all the times I want her to be more protective mission work is not one of them!! LOL.
I explain to her that life is for living now and if we don’t explore or pray about the longings god has placed in our heart we could miss our opportunity to do what he is calling us to do. I love how your full of joy living for god you obliterate ignorant misconceptions of us single women being sad and lonely blah blah haha.
Godbless you, B x