Seasons of Ministry
Have you seen a drop in the number of your speaking events recently or are you still waiting for the phone to ring?
Are you discouraged, wondering what’s going on?
You know you’ve heard God’s voice. Scriptures leap off the page to confirm His calling, and trusted friends tell you you’re on the right track. When you do speak, people respond, and you see seeds of life-change planted.
You’re ready. You’re waiting.
What now?
I want to just send a little word of encouragement today about seasons. For the first time since Next Step was launched, my coaching clientele has been shrinking instead of growing, so I’ve been doing some inventory.
What is God saying?
He hasn’t given me new direction, so I’m continuing to stand in the last word He gave me which is to start coaching through Next Step.
What are others saying?
“I recently contacted Next Step Speaker Services for assistance in taking an existing message and making it better. WOW! What a huge help Amy Carroll was. She not only helped me reorganize the message, we were able to cut it down a little bit so it was shorter and much clearer. The confidence I gained through working with Amy on this message really helped me to deliver it with boldness.” ~ Holly Ladner
(In response to saying that nobody has every called me a genius…) “Amy is a genius at encouragement, at highlighting what’s really working well, and pinpointing that one thing that’s throwing everything off. My messages are SO much more effective because of the time Amy’s spent working through them with me. My referral rates have soared as have my bookings. Bottom line: Amy Carroll is a genius at making me sound and look like a genius! And now you can’t say nobody’s ever called you a genius, Amy! ” ~Cheri Gregory
What are my feelings saying? (They don’t lead me, but they’re relevant.)
I still love coaching as much as I ever have. I don’t feel burned out or ready to quit.
So what’s happening?
That’s what I’ve been asking God, and I hope what He’s showing me encourages you.
The demands on my time have shifted. Writing the book has been a huge, challenging project. Speaking has also picked up during this season. God is showing me…
[Tweet “Slowing down in one area while others are demanding isn’t failure. It’s grace.”]
So, how about you? What other areas of your life is God developing while speaking is slower or on hold?
Do you have little ones who won’t be little forever and need your time now?
Are you caring for a loved one who is ill?
Is your husband needing to feel your love through time spent?
Is your day-job requiring more of you?
Do you simply need a season of rest? (This is legit, so don’t neglect it!)
If God brings anything to mind that needs your attention right now, I want to encourage you to see this as a season of grace instead of failure in your speaking. Hold on, friend! Don’t sweat or worry. Your speaking season is just down the road!
Amy, this was exactly what I needed to encourage me. My speaking HAS slowed down – considerably. And as I look back over my year, I’ve moved twice… wrote a book… and now launching a book… have 2 middle schoolers requiring much emotional energy… etc. My speaking calendar has been packed full for years, and speaking is my passion, so this “season” of being sidelined has been challenging. Your words helped me so much. Thank you, friend!
Thank you for sharing theses words. I needed to hear them!