Hi, friends! Sarah here, so glad to have you as a reader! Welcome to the newest edition to Chosen Girl Content: Friday Blogs with me! 

To set the scene, you should know a few things right out the gate about me and the environment here at Chosen Girl: 

1. I'm not a theologian. I do not claim to be. Picture me as your fellow sister in Christ trying my best to live my life for the Lord, and figure out how to do that and everything else in between, just writing and speaking my thoughts and insights here on this platform I'm blessed enough to share with my dear friend and partner in ministry, Liz.
2. This is a happy place! Chosen Girl has been in existence for nearly three years at the time I'm writing this, and I'll tell ya, I am incredibly grateful for a mutual understanding of this fact between us and our followers. I say this because, naturally, with things pertaining to faith and the human condition, there's room for disagreeing. This is for sure a safe space to ask questions, learn more, love on each other, request prayer, and more, but its all done under the umbrella and through the filters of love, kindness, and mutual respect. aka, no hate comments or emails. We can disagree and still be brothers and sisters in Christ, and also, I challenge you to try to disagree while still being genuinely kind and loving. Spoiler alert: its possible!

So lets talk about movement. DO NOT PANIC PEOPLE THIS IS NOT A WORKOUT BLOG...if you know me personally at all, you know this is hilarious.

ANYWAY, earlier this spring, I faced a huge life disappointment. I won't go into many personal details, but long story short, I didn't get my prayer answered the way I would have chosen. Honestly, it felt like I didn't get my prayer answered at all. I'm sure many of you have felt the same type of despair that leaves one asking, "Okay, what now, then?" Its a type of grief and devastation when you plans take a hard right turn into the direction you didn't expect, and you're having to re-create new dreams in your mind that disclude the thing you were hoping and praying for.  

I was left asking God, "what next," over and over to the point of hearing a clock ticking in my head and feeling a sense of dreadful rush and manic panic to make a decision. I was certain this toxic sense of hurry was not coming from my loving Father, but it was evident and heavy. I found myself complacent and apathetic, standing stagnant, and blaming my downtrodden lack of motivation or gratitude on "waiting for God's direction." 

Isn't it amazing what great thinkers we become in attempt to justify ourselves?

After a couple of weeks of my need-for-healing-turned-pity-party, I began to feel a shift in my heart, and see an astonishingly similar message become a reoccurring theme in every sermon, podcast, song, and writing I would encounter that week: movement. I don't know a scripture that directly states this, but I can assure you, the God I know sure does know how to get our attention. I argued, "but aren't I supposed to 'be still and know that You are God?'" I felt this feeling in my spirit that so clearly was the Lord speaking to my heart, "have you even been doing what I've already commanded you to do?" Oof. While there is such value in stillness, there is also so much value in obedience to an action, or actions, you've already been instructed to do. WOW. 

So I began moving. I began saying "yes," to the things I knew I needed a "yes" response from me. I started reaching out to others instead of focusing so inwardly on myself. The list goes on. I wish I could say it was a light switch that flipped and suddenly I wasn't sad or disappointed anymore. Picture it more like a steady, graceful wind that started to clear the dark clouds, and I could begin to see the light and stunning blue colors of the sky peeking through again. Soon, clarity was to be found everywhere in my heart, not because I had a clear view of my future, but because I had discovered a gratitude and peace in my future, all through moving in what I knew to be true in the small things each day. 

There is value in movement. 

So, what does movement mean to you? Does it mean reconciling a broken relationship, taking the leap of faith in serving, starting a podcast, writing the blog, putting yourself out there to new friends, making a phone call (this means something different to everyone!), making self care a part of your routine, or even booking the trip? Heck, it could physically mean moving more, if thats what your soul and mind needs (I could do an entire TED Talk on how walks are healing to the soul), but regardless of what it means to you...move. I honestly sucked at science in high school, but I do remember the law of the universe that states "an object in motion stays in motion." Maybe, just maybe, God is waiting for you for the next move. 

Here are some questions I encourage you to take a deep dive into yourself for some self reflection: 

1. Is there something convicting that comes to mind when reading this that you need to say "yes" to being obedient in that God has already spoken to you? 
2. What type of movement could change your life by implementing just a short time commitment each day or week?
3. Am I seeking peace in a result? How can you make a healthy shift to your inner peace lying in the Father?

Before I go, don't get it twisted: this is not a "hustle" post as it pertains to what I mean by movement. Quite the opposite, really. I found myself in the toxic spiral of "hustle" when I was striving to force an answer from God, when all I needed to do was move in the way I knew was for me. 

I hope this minute part of my story I've lived this past spring encourages you to realize there are already things to be done that can drastically pivot our lives into the direction that leads to peace and gratitude that comes from our loving Father.

xoxo, 

Sarah