Trusting God When You're Not Ready | Perspectives Podcast

Hand to heart, let me tell you about a conversation that stuck with me long after the microphones were off. I was sitting with my friend Tara who, if you asked her about hobbies, would tell you she loves fishing, camping, and the quiet that comes when you sit still and cast a line. That small picture of peace stands in beautiful contrast to the season that shaped her yes to ministry.

Can I tell you something? Tara did not arrive at a confident yes overnight. She walked through a life altering car accident that left her with a traumatic brain injury. She wrestled with language, balance, vision, anxiety, and depression. Those hard realities cleared every distraction and brought her face to face with a God who was patient and faithful. Through that slow, humbling preparation she began to see that God was not asking for perfect, he was asking for willing.

I remember listening to her describe how God had prepared her without rushing. She talked about seasons of being pushed into solitude so that she could hear voice over noise. That preparation is often invisible and unglamorous. But friends, the scripture that kept coming up in my mind as Tara spoke was 2 Corinthians 12 9 where God says my grace is sufficient and my power is made perfect in weakness. That truth shaped her yes and it can shape yours.

We talked about the specific moment that felt like permission to step forward. Tara had been a teacher for 15 years and was used to scripting everything. She prepared notes and outlines and then a women's retreat came. She had two sessions prepared and no time to finish the third because life had been messy and her mother had been very sick. She stepped up anyway, asked God to speak through her, and for the first time she got out of her own way. What came out was less scripted and more Spirit led and it became the most powerful of her messages.

Here's the thing I want you to hold onto. Saying yes does not mean you suddenly feel ready. Sometimes saying yes is a series of smaller surrenders. If you want to put this into practice, try a few tangible steps that helped Tara and could help you.

• Pray smaller prayers if you need to - ask for a willing heart rather than perfect words
• Return to scripture daily - let promises anchor you when fear speaks
• Take one small yes - try a short talk, a small group, a single volunteer slot
• Invite community to speak into your discernment and to hold you accountable
• Expect weakness - remember that God’s power shows up most clearly there

I share this with the same warmth I felt sitting across from Tara. We want tidy timelines and clean narratives, but God often prepares us in seasons that feel messy. What matters is that we show up and trust in a God whose grace meets us right where we are. I think you will find encouragement in Tara's courage and in the way God turned limitation into an open door.

If this episode resonated, please listen, share it with a friend, and leave feedback about what encouraged you today. I’d love to know how you’re learning to say yes in the middle of uncertainty and how this conversation landed with you. Listen, share, and leave feedback about this episode.