if I had done it her way…

If I had done it her way, I would’ve stayed at that job forever.

If I had done in his way, I would’ve never opened my Bible.

If I had done it his way, I would’ve actually gone to dentistry school.

If I had done it their way, I would’ve taken that promotion and never had the health or time to grow my family.

If I had done it his way, I would’ve skipped the Disney audition and moved back home to Ohio.

If I had done it their way, we would’ve stayed friends and I would never have the capacity for finding my true people and my true self.

If I had done it his way, I would’ve quit writing.

And hers. And hers. (And probably hers, too).

All of these ways are routes people I love or used to love pushed for me to go down. Again and again and again. And again and again, sometimes harder than others, sometimes steering off course and righting myself after some time, I stayed my own course—ignoring “their way”, striving to stay the course I know God laid out for me.

All of these ways are not the way. All of these ways are formed by people who may know me, but didn’t create me for a specific purpose. All of these ways would’ve kept me from all of the best things in my life: my faith, my family, and my writing.

Whatever path you are choosing, whatever decision you are thinking down through, be it a dream or a move or what have you…I hope you are holding onto yourself so tight. I hope you are listening to His voice so closely. I hope you are remembering to not abandon yourself on the journey. It is uniquely and beautifully yours—created and perfected with just you in mind. Keep going 🤍