By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance; he went out, not knowing where he was to go. // Hebrews 11:8
The notary laid out the papers and slid two pens toward us with an expectant look. My husband and I locked eyes, nodded to each other, and took a deep breath as we signed our respective names on the line. We were officially starting a business.
Just months prior, we had discerned a shift for our kids to a Catholic school, decided I needed to step back from my military work, and I was hit with a lifelong medical diagnosis. When my husband began to feel a strong call to leave his job and start a business, it made no practical sense. Who in their right mind would venture into such an unknown while already cutting a paycheck and taking on new school expenses?
Yet now, signing our names in indelible ink, instead of doubt and trepidation, I felt only holy freedom and exhilaration. The reason? Every last decision had been the result of dedicated, deliberate, prayerful discernment—every step of the way.
It took real investment through encouraging each other to seek God’s will above our own, to detach from fears or expectations about the outcome, and to honestly pour out our hearts’ desires while asking the Lord to align them with His desires. Every earnest attempt at surrender built an assurance of faith—in God and in each other—that I never thought possible.
Like Abraham in today’s reading, we were able to step out not knowing where we would end up because we trusted our Guide with the destination. Like Abraham, our trust was born out of deliberate relationship and, knowing our own fickle hearts, sincere attempts to follow God’s way over our own.
When you’re tempted to follow your own will instead of truly discern, or when you want to trust, but cling to control out of fear—invest in real relationship with Him. Set aside ten minutes to pray, and really pour out your heart. Tell Him your hopes and fears and ask Him to align your dreams with His.
I can’t say where we’ll end up. But I can tell you Who you and I can trust with the outcome—designed for our absolute, eternal, and everlasting good.
Ask Him to align your dreams with His. // Megan HjelmstadClick to tweet
Megan Hjelmstad (“Helm-stead”) is a wife, enthusiastic hockey mom, and Army Veteran living in Denver, CO. After serving fifteen years in the United States Army, Megan now serves the Church as an author, speaker, and women's mentor in her “spare” time. Megan loves to share God’s hope in suffering and is the author of Offer it Up: Discovering the Power and Purpose of Redemptive Suffering. She’s a long-time team member of Blessed is She and a writer and speaker for several other ministries. Megan adores books, sleep, sunshine, and Colorado’s great outdoors almost as much as she adores Jesus in the Eucharist. Learn more at MeganHjelmstad.com.
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