It was a beautiful Father’s Day yesterday.

For my Love, I attempted to find unexpected ways to feed his love languages and pour unyielding love into him on Father’s Day. While he and I do not have a child together, he does have a beautiful daughter (my Bonus Love) and the way that he loves her continues to warm my heart with each passing day. I did not grow up with my father and while I see my dad’s love today, I did not know that it existed when I was the age that my Bonus Love is currently. As such, when I see the way my Love loves her, my heart flutters and I wanted him to know that his actions are seen and greatly appreciated. (Too often as a society we put down fathers but today and every day, I choose to recognize the fathers that show up and continue to put in the love and work daily. I see you and I appreciate you, fathers.)

After days of rightly spoiling my Love, I planned to sit back and enjoy Sunday evening (typing this blog, of course) when I received a phone call from a new friend. She was telling me about some conversations that she had recently had with God and she was seeking a bit of advice. I will not disclose any details about our conversation, but I will thank her because our conversation yesterday sparked the post that you are currently reading.

Beloved, you must extend grace to try.

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I do not know you.

Many of you I have never met in person and I may never see you on this side of glory. Yet I am so sure of one thing- there is something that stands before you that you are a bit reluctant to venture into right now. How do I know this? Because we all face new opportunities that startle us in some way and fear is a very real thing.

Regardless of what you believe F.E.A.R. to be (False Evidence Appearing Real or Face Everything And Rise), fear is something that we all experience at some point in our life but we have to extend grace towards ourselves and be willing to try.

What are you fearful of trying, Beloved?
Is it a new job?
A promotion?
Dating someone new?
Moving on past hurt/heartbreak?
Continuing/furthering education?
Starting a new hobby?
Starting a new business?
Offering new business services?
Taking an important test/assessment?

Whatever it is, take a moment to truly identify what your fear is and write it on a sheet of paper.

Did you write it down? No? Well, go do it! 🙂

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Now that you’ve written it down, surrender it to God in prayer. Spend the next 2-3 minutes leaving that fear-note at the foot of God’s altar- trust me, change happens there! (Beloved, go to the ALTAR so that God may ALTER your life and heart.)

As you pray, I want to be transparent with you. Every example that I offered earlier was something that I actually battled within the past 6 years. I was fearful to accept God’s call to the ministry. I was fearful to start a new career in education while also fearful of PURSUING additional education for myself. I was fearful to open my heart to love after experiencing so much heartbreak. And the thought of starting a ministry that requires me to share every part of me to the open public was extremely fearful! Yet with each initially fearful opportunity, I paused and did what I am encouraging you to do today…

Once you have prayed over it, release it. Whether you rip up that paper, crumble it up, or set it on fire (ok, don’t really light it up), you must release it today. God has not given you the spirit of fear; instead, He has given you power, love, and a sound mind (2 Timothy 1:7). Trust Him… and be sure to extend yourself grace to try.

Be blessed.