Episode Transcript
[00:00:01] Speaker A: Hey, friend. Welcome to Perspectives into Practice, a place where life's stories meet practical wisdom. Together, we'll explore how faith filled perspectives can transform the way we live, love, and grow.
So grab a seat, settle in, and join us on this journey to turn inspiration into action.
Let's dive in.
Hey, friend. Welcome back to Perspectives into Practice. Today's conversation feels real close to home because we're talking about those in between seasons. The one where God is clearly moving, but the details feel uncertain. Maybe you've been there, you know, he's calling you forward, but you're not exactly sure what it's going to look like yet. And instead of having all the answers, you're learning to trust him one step, step at a time. I'm sitting down with my new friend Heather, and her story is one that I think so many of you are going to connect with. She's stepping out of a 25 year career and into something new, while also walking through some really big life transitions in her family. And what I love most is how honest her faith is in the middle of it all. Welcome, Heather. I'm so glad that you're here.
[00:01:15] Speaker B: Thank you, Jessica. I'm really glad to be here too.
[00:01:18] Speaker A: Oh, I'm excited to talk about this. But before we dive in, y' all know I love a good fun fact and you love to be part of a community theater production, which I think is just so amazing and so much fun.
And I need to hear about that. What do you do in these productions? Do you play a role or do you. Are you more like background?
What's the sit chair?
[00:01:43] Speaker B: Yeah, we have a local community program, Kankee Valley Theater Association. Yeah. So I love getting involved. I've been involved in a number of ways over the years.
I've been part of ensembles and then hence of parts here and there. And then what's been super fun over the last few years is that my kids also have been interested in doing that. So last year I had the opportunity to be in the production of Matilda with both my daughter and my son. And then, and that, which was super fun. And then my son and I just did a production around Christmas time of the Christmas schooner. And so that, that was fun just to, to share the stage and, and just enjoy our time together.
[00:02:22] Speaker A: I love that. That is, that is amazing. So have you always been interested in theater?
[00:02:27] Speaker B: Yeah, I think so. I didn't do a ton of it in, in high school, but I did a couple productions in college and, and then got involved. I've lived in this area for man almost 30 years. And, and so I've done a few productions with them over the years and it's a great time to just do something. I always like. I feel like I'm always an achiever. I've got to cross something off the list and it has to have a purpose. And this really has no purpose other than just to have fun.
But also I've got to meet some really incredible people and build relationships through that. So it's adult playtime. It's fun.
[00:03:01] Speaker A: I love that. That is amazing. It's funny how stepping into new roles that we didn't audition for are exactly what God brings us to in our own seasons of life.
We don't get to audition for the things that he brings us to. And so speaking of that, you are in a very big transition right now. So can you share what that season has looked like as you've stepped away from your care and into something new?
[00:03:27] Speaker B: I am. It's definitely been a big transition. So since, since graduating, actually even before I graduated college, I started a career in marketing. I've worked with for nonprofits all these years. Kind of worked, I worked my way up. I've done project management, I've overseen marketing departments and, and I've had a very fulfilling career in that. But I just felt like probably going on a couple years now, I just felt like God was stirring something, stirring something within me and I was trying to make sense of it. I had the opportunity to write a book. It's been a little over a year, but I wrote that for the organization I work for. And that just unearthed this passion that I had as a kid writing. And I've come to realize I enjoy speaking. So there's just all these things that we're just kind of stirring and trying to figure out and make sense of what God was doing next. And I just felt very clearly like that he was leading me to take a leap of faith. And so I am currently in the midst of the, the infancy of my new business. I still work in a part time capacity for a nonprofit organization, but. But I'm slowly working my way out of that and, and building. Building my business. And so it's exciting and terrifying all at the same time.
[00:04:47] Speaker A: Yeah. Cause there's a lot of uncertainty in the middle when you don't know what you're doing. But you know that this is what God has called you to do. And he has a. God has a really great way of reminding us that he is still in the middle and still right there with us. Can you share with us. What the hardest part of this, of letting go has been for you.
[00:05:09] Speaker B: The hardest part is just I. I'm a firstborn oldest daughter. I like to, you know, grab things by the horn, take care of it. And there's so much out of my control.
There's so much out of my control.
I can't. I don't. I. I'm just. This has been a true season of trying to just trust that God will open the right doors at the right time, that I. I can't force those open. I do need to do my part in. In searching and being obedient, but also, at the end of the day, I have to trust that he will provide, open. Start the right conversations, open the right doors, and bring the right opportunities along to me at the right time. And that's something I can't really force. When I try to force it, it's just frustrating and discouraging and anxiety building and that's not a good place to be.
[00:05:57] Speaker A: Yeah, exactly. Even though he calls us to something, it doesn't mean that it's. We're going to have that constant peace, but it does mean that we're going to have clarity along the way, even when we don't know what's next. And so leaning into that is so important for, well, every aspect of our life. But, you know, specifically when he calls you into something new that you're like, yeah, I'm going to say yes, but you have to show me what that means.
[00:06:23] Speaker B: Right? Yeah, absolutely. I've used. I've. I've shared. So my, My family does a lot of camping and I've. I've shared. I often feel like I'm learning this lesson of my, my son. He's 14 now, taller than me, but when he was, you know, little, he was probably four or five. And we were walking hand in hand to go. Go find the bathroom late at night from our campsite. And I just had like an old school. Like, I had a camping lantern and I could see a foot or two in front of me and a foot or two behind me. And I just held him by the hand and I had just enough light to see what I needed to see to take the next step. Couldn't see what was in the woods. I probably wouldn't have wanted to, you know, but I had just enough light to see the next step. And I keep. That image keeps coming back to me of that's where God has called me to walk right now with him, hand in hand. I don't know what's five steps ahead. But I know what's the, the next step and, and just being obedient to, to trust him that he'll guide me the right way.
[00:07:17] Speaker A: Yeah, that's so beautiful and it's so revealing to us because the Lord says he, I. He will be a lamp into my feet and a light on my path. And that's exactly what he is. But I think, we think maybe like street light, like you're going to see long views of the path and the road. And he's like, no, it's, it's like light like candle, very small, very, very. And you have to trust him each step. And thankfully we can't see what's far out because you're right. Like what's in the woods? I don't want to, I don't want to know. I don't want to know what's out there. I just want to stay right here.
[00:07:56] Speaker B: Right.
[00:07:57] Speaker A: Focus on you. And that. Yeah, that's so, so important. So sometimes in those unexpected moments we feel like God is saying, I see you, I need you. So where have you seen God's provision in his goodness or his goodness in ways that surprised you during the season?
[00:08:18] Speaker B: There have been, oh, there's so many stories I could tell for, for whatever reason there have been, you know, I'm not a big sign person. I don't want to rely on signs and all that sort of thing. I want, you know, yeah, I, I want to just trust blindly. But, but God in his great mercy and goodness has occasionally given me things that just felt like God winks in the moment. So, so for example, there have been a couple times there was a time where I have. Was praying for something specifically and felt, felt stalled out and felt like, I don't know where to go from here. And I had, I had seen some doves along, along the way. Like we have like doves in our area and they, they were flying off a roof. And I said, and I just, I said it just like stream of consciousness. It was just like, you know, be cool if I just saw one land there. And I know God speaking to me. And I didn't think, you know, it was not even like, it's not a fleece where I officially put it out or anything like that. So my, my son and I were walking out to, to the car that morning to, to head out to wherever we were going, and they're there on the hood of the car.
A dove landed and it turned and it looked right at me and, and it always. One of those things where it Was it felt like, okay, am I crazy? And, but, but Jackson, my son spoke on it. He's like, do you see that? And, and it was just a moment of clocking like that that God sees and God knows. So now, even though again, I don't need to rely on those signs, but now I see these doves in our area semi regularly. And it's just a constant reminder to me that the Holy Spirit is working and he's speaking and he's preparing the way and I just need to be watching for it and listening for what God wants to say to me, which he does in his perfect timing.
[00:10:09] Speaker A: He yeah. And even when we see his goodness, there's still that tension between belief and doubt. Like, do I, Is this really what it is? Is this not what it is? Is this Holy Spirit? Is this me? Where, where is that?
Hey, quick interruption from this amazing conversation because I wanted to take a moment to invite you to wholeness in the wilderness. This retreat has been stirring in my heart for months and I truly believe God is gathering women who need rest, renewal and room to breathe. From June 25th through the 28th, we'll be gathering near the California Redwoods and Oregon coast for a peaceful spirit led retreat focused on reconnecting with God, slowing down and walking toward wholeness in body, mind and spirit. There's something powerful that happens when women step away from the noise, sit around tables together, walk through nature together, worship together, and have honest conversations where they are. If that sounds like something your soul needs right now, I'd love for you to come. You can find all the information at Perspectives into Practice dot com. Just go up to the top and click retreat. Okay, back to the episode earlier you mentioned in Mark 9:23. I do believe. Help me overcome my unbelief. So how has that been really real for you lately?
[00:11:21] Speaker B: Hmm. I have, you know, I, I, I've said like God doesn't give us too long range of a plan, but occasionally he's putting specific dreams on my heart and visions on my mind of things that I, that I, I believe will happen someday. And I, and I know that God is working towards that. But, but I, but I don't know how. I don't know what it looks like. And there's, there's that passage of, of this man who said, he says, do you believe? And he said, I do believe, but help me in my unbelief. I, I do believe God is faithful. I do believe he could do anything. I do believe he's working in the midst of these but there are days where I feel unsure of myself or I think, was I just crazy? Did I imagine that?
You know, like, so I just need, I need to keep surrendering it and asking for God to help me, to help me have peace in the midst of those moments where the anxiety builds or I feel doubts or I feel unsure of what to do next.
[00:12:19] Speaker A: When that doubt does creep in, what, what keeps you going? What keeps you going back to that place of trust?
[00:12:26] Speaker B: I have like one, one of the ways that that is that I've literally put on my desk, work area where I'm working, a prayer of, who do you want me to speak to today? Because.
And leaving that open ended, whether that's for business purposes or that somebody that God wants me to minister to, because again, I like, I want to just go out and like, I know that if I talk to this person, it'll lead to this job, to dah, dah, dah, dah, dah. And I haven't, I can't. That's too big. I can't figure that out on my own. So every day when I go to work, I literally try to surrender that moment back to God. Who do you want me to talk to today? Put them on my mind, have them call, have me call them, like, open the conversation. And I'm just trusting that he's got a reason.
[00:13:11] Speaker A: Yeah, I love that. Yeah. Because trusting isn't always something that we feel. A lot of times it's what we have to practice every day. And I love that you have that reminder so close to you where you're working so that it does continue to remind you that he is working to trust his, his guidance and to just do the next thing in that vein. What are those rhythms and habits that have helped you to stay grounded in your faith even when life is uncertain?
[00:13:40] Speaker B: Yeah. So again, so the prayers of daily surrender, hourly surrender, you know, whatever, whatever it takes. That's one of them. Definitely. And it doesn't. It's not like this. It has to be the, this articulate thing. It just has to be God, God help me. Right now I'm feeling overwhelmed or God, I'm stuck. I don't know what to do here. Please help me have wisdom. So that's, yeah, that's a, that's a rhythm that I've had, like I've built over time of. I tried to do it, a discipline of, like I said, I've got that sticky note. But I've tried to remind myself, like, even if, if I'm. We've prayed before this, before this conversation and I prayed before that like God, what. What do you like you paved the way. So there's definitely. That's a daily rhythm. I also, I trying to be more intentional about time in his word, carving out time for that and time to listen. And I have accountability partner in that. It's actually my mom we're reading through together so that we read this passage and then we talk about what did you hear today? So that's. I, you know, and I just still got lots of work to do on consistency. There's days where the busyness gets like I let it get the best of me but I try to keep coming back to that because I know that's where God speaks. And then just another thing that has become a habit for me is I have like, it's so easy for me to slide back into doom scrolling and watching the news and all these kind of stuff that's overwhelming. And I don't think we should be uninformed, but I don't think that that could. Should be our all consuming source of entertainment and knowledge and filling the gap. So I've been trying to like on my morning commute, I have about a 45 minute commute to my office right now. And I try to dedicate that to either praise music or listening to a sermon or listening to something where I'm going to hear the truth of God's word and the truths of his song. Like that. Those are. That's what I'm filling my mind and my heart with. Because then when I'm. It just changes things when, when I'm, when I'm stressed out. That those are the songs I'm humming.
[00:15:47] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:15:47] Speaker B: That. Those are the messages that are rattling through my head rather than what I read in the comment section when I was doom scrolling.
Yeah.
[00:15:56] Speaker A: Right. Yeah. And it's such a good way to, to start your day. So I love, I love those rhythms. And this season hasn't just been about your work though. Right. It's. You're navigating some things personally. You mentioned that your child is heading off to college. How has God met you in those overlapping life transitions?
[00:16:15] Speaker B: There has been so much. Yeah. My, my daughter like, like you said, is. She's actually. She's wrapping up her freshman year at college and that's been an adjustment just to figure out life without her there. Every day there's been good, there's been bad. Like we've also like my son is, is soaking up being the only child in the house.
So there's good that comes. And. And there's been. And there's been a really sweet relationship with my daughter, too, that we've just formed. Like, now when she comes home, it's because she wants to, you know, and so there's been good there. But, yeah, I actually, over the last few years, we've been navigating my dad's declining health. And. And actually, two weeks ago Monday, he. He passed away. And. And so we're deep in this. I'm so sorry to hear that. Oh, thank you. We're deep in this time of grief and figuring out what life looks like without dad. And. Yeah, it's been beautiful and hard and difficult. It's been all the things. God has met us in the middle of the mess.
[00:17:16] Speaker A: I feel like there's so many women that are walking through so. Such similar seasons right now. So what would you say to that woman who feels like she's in this messy middle and doesn't know what to do next?
[00:17:29] Speaker B: I actually. I was. I had this, like, picture that God gave me the other night because I went to. I went to the cemetery to. Which is.
It's kind of funny in itself because I had. I had often told my husband, I don't think if somebody ever passed away, I would visit much because it's not like they're there anyway. And so. So I told him. I told him I went there and he said, what? He said, I thought you said you weren't a cemetery person. I said, well, I was wrong.
But anyway, I was there and I had this picture of. I went to my dad's grave, and right now it's a big mess of soil and big clumps of dirt, and it's very messy, and it's very obvious, and it's very like. It's kind of like just this mess that's just kind of spreading out all around it.
[00:18:16] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:18:17] Speaker B: And that's kind of like. I feel like that's where we're at in the grief process. It's very obvious. It's very raw. It's very like, there's little thing that I'll be fine all day, and then there's something little that'll trigger it. So. But that's where we're at. But then I look, I took a little walk around there, and there's. There's plots that are a little further along where you could still see there's a pile there, but it's now like cracked soil and just individual blades of grass are growing out. And it's a little less obvious and A little more contained. And then you go to, like, other places where you would not even know that anything was buried there except that a headstone is marking, marking there. And so I would say to others who are going through this time of grief, I recognize it'll always be there, and it's okay and it's natural and it's part of the rhythm of it being messy and out there and vulnerable right now, but it will. It will be more contained. It'll always be there. But that's. That's just part of the process, and that's part of the rhythm of. Of life, of being out there and letting God be part of the mess and. And letting Him. Him work through as it settles down.
[00:19:24] Speaker A: That's a beautiful, beautiful picture. Heather, thank you so much for being here with us. This has been a really meaningful conversation. I'm so thankful for openness and honesty. And I think really what stands out to me the most is that we don't have to have it figured all out, that God is going to guide us and keep us moving forward, even if we don't know what it is. And sometimes really taking that next step of faith is. Is. Is just that, taking that next step and trusting that God will be there like that little lamp in the. In the forest. And so thank you for being here with us today.
[00:20:03] Speaker B: Thank you. I really loved being here.
[00:20:05] Speaker A: So before we wrap up, I want to ask you a question that I ask every guest on the podcast, and that is, what is one perspective that you would encourage listeners to apply today?
[00:20:14] Speaker B: I would just be like, we know that God loves us and that he's working all things good for. For us. So he. We know that he is at work and we forget that. So I would just, like, look through the lens of, where is God at work? Be on the lookout for it. And for me, like, it's been those tangible reminders of seeing the doves. When I see that, it's just a reminder that the Holy Spirit is constantly working. But, like, be on the lookout, because God loves you and he cares for you and he's working in your life. So watch for it and call it out and celebrate it. Because it's those things that as we watch for him at work, then we can also pray of, how do you want me to be part of it, God? And how do you want to minister to me through this? If we're watching for him at work, we will see it and we will know that he is good and he wants to involve you in that.
[00:21:02] Speaker A: Absolutely. So good. So good friend. If you are in a season where things feel uncertain, just know that you are not alone. God is still working even when you can't see the full picture. And if this conversation stirred something in your heart, I'd love to invite you to be a guest and to share your story too. It might be exactly what someone else needs to hear. And if this episode encouraged you share it with a friend, maybe they need to hear it. And remember, even small shifts in perspective can lead to big changes. Now go put those perspectives into practice. Talk to you next time.
