Listening to God's Leading

In my previous post I shared the journey of living by faith in the face of a recent layoff. Months ago I had stumbled upon the concept of Life Coaching. I wondered if there are Christian Life Coaches and started looking into what it would take to become one myself.  A few minutes spent online told me there are many programs and options, but that's as far as I took it. 

Then after my trip to Poland in November, I felt a deep stirring awaken in my heart. The desire to spend more time being able to help people, in a ministry context, not just volunteering a few hours per week but really being able to focus on it... Those barely audible thoughts that creep in to the edge of consciousness but get pushed back down by fear and uncertainty. If you've ever felt it, you know what I mean. 

I didn't know the layoff was coming, but God did. He was already stirring up these thoughts and putting together details before I ever saw the puzzle coming together.  So following the advice of a pastor I'd spoken with, I looked up a particular certification program and found they were having a Christmas sale which had discounted the course by almost 60%! Then I noticed a button "apply for a scholarship" so I did. 

Then I waited through what felt like a very long weekend, and felt by Sunday night that all signs seemed to be leading me to take the step of faith and try to start a Christian Life Coaching business. The remaining doubt was the cost of the certification. Having just been laid off I was uncertain if now is the right time to spend money to try to start my own business from scratch so I asked God to close the door if it's not where He wants me to go.  But then that Monday morning I was granted a scholarship which covered most of the remaining cost of the program! 

God is in the details, y'all. He's able to weave pieces together in a beautiful tapestry that is far beyond what we could create ourselves. I still don't know how it will all magically come together, but I know the One who does. Something stuck out to me in the trainings I'm doing- the instructor asked if we're willing to trust God to make us into the coaches He wants us to be. She reminded us that we are led by a Great God and that's the most important thing to remember.