The Sisterhood BookSample

"All or Nothing"
In the early days of Sisterhood, one of the biggest hurdles I had to overcome was a pervasive undercurrent that was the consequence of generational separation. There was a perception that what I was doing with “women’s ministry” was for a particular, more ‘mature’ demographic. The younger generation and, alas, even my girlfriends didn’t think it was something for them.

Clearly, I had some mindsets to address, because I knew God wanted to shape a completely new reality regarding women in the church. At this juncture, it felt like I was the only person in my world who could see it - and in many ways it was still veiled even from me.

I was responding in faith to uncharted territory and, to be honest, because my nature is not forthcoming or aggressive, it is something of a miracle that I didn’t quit altogether. Regardless of how incapable or inadequate I felt at times, for the most part I determined to set my face toward what I believed God had put in my heart and then walked in simple faith into the unknown. I learned to “smile at the future” and press on.

When you feel God is calling you to step out into His grand plan, creating something new or different takes time and commitment. The season ahead, no matter how brief or protracted, will be the territory in which you will discover yourself and your identity.

Never despise your beginnings, no matter how small or seemingly insignificant. God does not measure with a ruler or calculator - He measures your heart. When God directed the prophet Samuel to anoint a shepherd boy as king, He said, “People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”

So no matter how crazy it may seem, or how many others do or don’t understand the desires God has placed within your heart, take courage and take a breath as you step out into the deep. Give it everything you’ve got. Learn to smile at the future and trust your heavenly Father, who promises to be with you every step of the way.