Abigail Denton

I’m reading a book by Donald Miller right now and there’s a quote that I can’t get out of my head. The book is about business, so it’s not speaking specifically about our christian walks, but I couldn’t help but see how applicable it was to my faith journey.

“I’ve learned most situations we believe are confusing are not actually confusing. In fact, what masquerades as confusion is often our desire to avoid conflict and our unwillingness to take action.”

The reason this quote struck me is because sometimes I claim to be confused when what I really am is stalling. I’m choosing to be confused. Sometimes I feel God calling me into a space or a ministry or to a special project but I don’t want to. I don’t want to speak in front of a crowd. Or I don’t want to work with that particular group of people. Or I don’t want to be honest with myself about what’s really holding me back.

It’s much easier to say that I’m confused, I’m not sure what God is saying. Back in the fall, as I was working through my coaching certification program I said the phrase “I just want to see what it will all look like” over and over and over. It was almost my anthem of the fall and launching a coaching business. I have been asking God to just give me some guidance, to show me what it’s going to look like, what the boundaries of this thing He’s doing are. It’s easy to claim being patient and wait until God gives me more clarity. Because sometimes we are called to wait. We are prompted by God to pause on that ministry or event or resource and wait for God to show me it’s time to move forward.

God doesn’t want to be confusing. In my experience I have found that more often than God pausing me, I’m pausing me. I’m delaying obedience and calling it confusion. What I’m actually doing is disobeying. I’m walking by sight not by faith. I’m waiting for God to show me what’s around the corner rather than taking that one more step forward and going from there. I’ve been so convicted the last few months about being honest with myself when I’m hesitant. There have been times where I didn’t understand but I clearly felt God pausing me. There was an event that I was working with a friend to get off the ground. It’s a good and beautiful God honoring event and I can see the need for something like this in my community. But I didn’t feel comfortable moving forward. I kept feeling God whisper to wait and pause, maybe save it for another season when God says to move.

There have been times where I didn’t understand but I clearly felt God telling me to make a move. Take a step, in faith not sight. God has been asking me to step into roles that I’m not super comfortable stepping into. I feel myself doubting and coming up with several reasons I shouldn’t step into that space. But when I pause long enough and pray honestly enough I know God is asking me to move. I’m just choosing to stand still, I’m choosing to disobey.

This phrase has been so helpful for me as I process and pray though what God is doing. It has allowed me to be honest with myself and call things what they are. I’m praying it will help you as well!

Trust Package

I just launched a new product on my website and I’m so excited to tell you about it! I have a client that I coached through a difficult situation and we worked through how the Bible defines trust and what that means for her specific situation. Out of that coaching session, I created the Trust Workbook. It was originally designed to help my client but I know there are others dealing with similar situations. So I’ve launched a specific Trust Package.

The workbook is designed to be a self-guided coaching session through the topic of trust. You’ll find guided prayers, scripture and reflection questions to process, a teaching on trust, and journaling spaces. The package is designed to go deeper. You’ll not only get the workbook but you’ll also get a coaching session! Option one is to work through the workbook together in a coaching session. Option two is work through the workbook before the session on your own and then in our session together we’ll go deeper. I am so looking forward to guiding more clients into freedom and peace by confidently being able to move forward knowing what the Bible says and what it means for your specific situation.

Find out more here and let’s move into freedom together!

On Wednesday’s I’ve been sharing some thoughts while I sit in the car line at the middle school. It has been a fun little moment that I get to share what I’ve been thinking about that week. It’s a little moment of redemption that I can use that time to coach. I made a reel from last Wednesday’s chat and you can check it out here. I’d love to hear how God has been showing you lately that you are His dearly loved child. Reply to this email and let’s praise God together!

“Pay attention and give God the credit for all the good things happening in your life. For all the beautiful, the mundane, the things that make you smile, and to remember that God loves you. You are a dearly loved child.”