Joy A. Mead

A few weeks ago, I went to my very last session of a Bible study which I have been part of for ten years. I first joined this lovely women’s group when I was heavily pregnant with my daughter and some of these wonderful mothers have journeyed with me through faith, motherhood, and school. 

It’s been such an encouragement over the years and a blessing to my heart in what felt like an incredibly beautiful yet intensively challenging period in my life. Just to know every Tuesday, I could have a hot drink and fellowship with other mothers for an hour while the church grannies watched my little ones was so nourishing!

I’m not sure how it all happened so quickly, however ten years have whizzed by and I have found myself gearing up to enter a new season—whatever that may be. Toward the beginning of the school year, I felt like it might be my time to exit from our group at the end of the next school year, but God had other plans.

You see my family and I attended our local church for five years before moving on to another nearby church. Even five years after leaving, I have still attended this Bible study because I am within the community, and I have grown close to many of the mums who are also school friends. Recently, at one of the Bible study sessions, it was announced that the church would like to refocus on the target demographic of mums with young children. Seeing as my children are now at school and we attend another church, I started to pray about if God was leading me to leave even a bit earlier than I anticipated. 

The theme of our last series has been about Being Still before God and deliberately carving out quiet time with him. My favorite topic was “Hiddenness”. So much of our spiritual growth happens away from the crowds, and we need to focus our hearts on the things God is trying to teach us without getting bogged down with the all-too-easy distractions such as busy schedules and smartphones. 

We talked about how God took Elijah on a three year wilderness journey away from others to prepare him for his next plans. If we want to go after the things of God, often we must take this time and utilize it as an opportunity to see God and grow intimately with him. I know this incredibly well with having come off social media for a full two years and within that time writing a book about my motherhood journey. God can really do amazing things in us when we are in the hidden places of our spiritual journey.

Another lesson to ponder is that it’s okay to choose to leave while things are thriving. We don’t necessarily have to wait until things are really bad or we are completely frustrated. It’s okay to leave well, believing that God has good things for us even if those plans haven’t fully been revealed yet. As far as my next plans in my current season? I honestly have no clue! Yet, I am making every effort to have hope that God knows what is going on and what He wants me to be doing. 

If this resonates with your heart, please join me in accepting the unknown in our lives and thriving even in the hidden places of our spiritual journeys. 

Let’s deliberately choose to let go of our need to control and have our lives all planned out. God knows how our stories will go and He is trustworthy. It’s okay to leave well, even without having the next thing lined up. It’s enough to keep choosing to take one step forward, day by day and letting the Savior lead us. 

In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps.

Proverbs 16:9

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.

Jeremiah 29:11-13

Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

Philippians 1:6

You, Lord, keep my lamp burning; my God turns my darkness into light.

Psalm 18:28