All in perfect timing
I find myself saying these words often – whether to clients, to friends, family or to myself.
Here’s an analogy that keeps running through my mind:
I have this vision of a huge nerf war taking place in our home one day. I saw it on Pinterest years ago before I was a #boymom and now I literally can’t wait to be able to do it! The thought of hiding with one kid with our nerf guns and leaving a note next to two other nerf guns for Daddy and kid #2 to come find us because ”the battle is ON!”, literally makes my heart swell up. That said, Banks still needs help reloading most nerf guns and Hunt – well, he’s a baby.
Sure, we could do a version of it now and we would have plenty of giggles coming out of these boys but we wouldn’t get the full experience. Can you even imagine what this will be like when they are 6 and 8 and they both can participate in this full blown nerf war? Not to mention they may be able to remember it as a sacred family moment when they grow up!
I say this because sometimes it’s hard to wait. Wait for the dream, wait for the job opportunity, wait to start a business, wait for the right time to sell and/or buy a home, wait for the right time to invest, wait for the perfect partner, wait for the family, wait wait wait. But some pretty big things happen during the waiting period that are necessary for us to achieve what we want to achieve and what God has planned for us.
Thinking back now, I can see so many stepping stones that led me to where I am today. I’m sure it goes back farther than this but here are a few stones that stand out:
I started working at Chick-Fil-A when I was 15 and I am thankful to this day for the good work ethic and customer service this company instilled in me at a young age.
Fast forward to college…As most young college students, I switched majors a few times before I figured out what I wanted to do. First, I thought I wanted to be a psychology major. I’m fascinated with the mind and why people are the way they are and knew I wanted to help people. Next up, I decided I wanted to do nursing…again helping people just in a different way. Finally, I switched to Communications/Public Relations and that is where I found my home! I loved my major. I loved all the writing and I secretly loved getting anxious every time I got up to make a speech (a similar feeling to when I took acting classes when I was younger) and everyone can use some tips on how to be a better communicator. It was perfect for me. I always knew I wanted to help/guide people and do it with excellence, I just wasn’t sure of how I would do it!
I served and bartended my way through college and landed as bar manager. where I helped promote the restaurant and events on social media…I mean Facebook…back then, it was only Facebook!! Either way, it kicked off my passion for marketing. Plus, it gave me space to practice my communication (+ multitasking skills) and taught me a sense of responsibility before entering in to the “real world”.
Looking back, I remember one thing about that journey that stands out to me today – I always was asked to do things before I thought I was ready. When I was a server on the restaurant side, I didn’t think I could handle serving on the bar side. When I was a server on the bar side, I never thought I could bartend. When I was the rookie bartender, I never thought my boss would make me bar manager…I wasn’t trying to control the outcome, I was just moving forward based on what was asked of me. Sometimes doing it scared is what will be asked of you!
Fast forward to graduation – I went straight into marketing. I was in marketing for 7 years before real estate. I climbed the corporate ladder higher and higher with every year that passed and helped take a company of 50 employees to 150 through numerous roles navigating internal and external development and getting some additional practice in leadership, account management, client relations AND MARKETING! All things that serve me very well in real estate.
The pull to do something on my own got stronger and stronger and I didn’t know what it was but I kept feeling God say “wait for me”. I’ll never forget a quiet time I had when I was at a conference the year before I went out on my own. The conference was at the beach and, if you know me, you know that by the water is where my soul finds peace. My quiet time read was this:
“Wait on me. My timing is always perfect. I know you’re anxious about many things and I see your passion for all the plans I have put in your heart. I know that you long to fly, and I see your enthusiasm. However, just as a vinedresser nurtures the vine and waits patiently for the right moment to harvest the grapes, so too am I working tirelessly to prepare you to bear much fruit. Don’t run ahead of Me or try to fly before My plans are complete. Your strength will fail you and your dreams will wither away. Trust Me that My dreams for you are far greater than you can dream on your own. You will run farther and soar higher if you will patiently wait for the season of My blessing. Draw close to Me now and I promise this season of waiting will bring you the sweetest of rewards. Love, Your King and Lord of Perfect Timing”
At the time, it gave me a moment of patience and excitement for what He had in store for me. Now, it gives me chills going back and reading that remembering the place I was and seeing where we are now! He was right…
If you’ve followed our blog from the beginning, you know where the story goes from here.
This journey has been anything but boring. God challenges me daily and I know He’s not done with me (or us) yet! But looking back, it is so clear the roads we walked that led us here. I didn’t need a degree to be in real estate, but I wouldn’t have learned valuable lessons or met Trevor without college. I didn’t know I needed a baby to give me the courage to pursue my calling, but I wouldn’t have made moves towards that dream without him. No, I have not “arrived”. I am confident there is even more for me that hasn’t unfolded yet and I’m sure it will be a blend of doing it scared and waiting time and time again.
So, if you find yourself in a place of waiting, rest assured that it all builds and stacks to prepare you for what you’re being called to do, who you’re meant to be with and where you’re meant to be. Our job is to let it unfold in {His} perfect timing and find joy in the journey!
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