Episode 9: Navigating Life's Crossroads and Embracing New Experiences

Get ready to be ignited . My husband and I are currently raising our two beautiful grandchildren and we have this four-year-old granddaughter named Shiloh , and she is a bundle of energy and curiosity . She loves to sing and dance and often she will get her little microphone and put on impromptu performances for anyone who watched .

I mean , one day we were literally in Crackerboro and she stood up in the chair and started singing . It wasn't really loud , but we knew she was about to perform . Her little repertoire of songs include this Girl is on Fire by Alicia Keys , let it Go from the movie Frozen , along with some contemporary Christian music like Everlasting God by William Murphy .

She is also just a natural gymnast . Her cartwheels are amazing and she can do a toe touch honey with very impressive agility , and she is always eager to learn and explore the world around her . But despite her little boundless energy , she is also very affectionate and she loves to give hugs and cuddles . She's prissy and she loves wearing dresses .

She also loves playing with dolls and she's even a little clothes designer . Honey , she will cut up any material to make new clothes for her Barbies , if I let her . And then we have this grandson Josiah . He also is inquisitive . He loves science .

He's always asking about how things work and why certain things happen , and he loves trying to come up with solutions to problems that he has and even that he overhears . You know how you got to tell them like ? This ain't your conversation , you ain't supposed to be jumping in . He is also just starting to experience the joy of reading .

He has an athletic nature . He plays baseball , basketball and his goal is to be a wide receiver in football . And both he and his sister , they have a very strong bond and they always look out for each other . He asks her every day if any of the kids at her school , if they're being nice to her or not nice .

He's always in big brother protection mode , and one of the things that's so beautiful about both of them is that whenever they go to the store , they and if one gets a treat , they always say can we get one for the other . So we're gonna share . I want to share a story with you today about Miss Shiloh , because we are raising our grandchildren .

You know we really miss out on those grand parenting opportunities . You know where we can just like spoil them with candy and toys and then send them back home . When you're raising your grandchildren , you really can't do that right .

So I decided to just have what I call grand parenting days , and that's where I just Depth out of the role of being a parent because that's essentially what I am Um , and just do the grandparent thing . And what that is is it's those days when I say , sure , you have candy . You know it's . It's kind of like that yesterday .

Whatever they want , I say yes to it . And so , um , one of these grandparenting days , uh , we had gone to the store and I had told them both , of course , that they could have some candy , and while we were in the checkout lane , uh , josiah , he quickly selected his cookies and cream candy bar . He always knows what he wants .

Uh , however , my little granddaughter , shiloh , she was having such a difficult time deciding on which chocolate candy she wanted . I mean , she was uh really at the point of tears , and this is really her regular response . And she stands there in front of the array of candy , all the candy , and she's like I don't know , I don't know which one I want .

And I'm trying to help her by saying there's no wrong choice , shiloh . Um , choose the , choose something that you know you really like , and I try to give her a few choices . But this particular day she could not decide . And here we are in the checkout lane . The cashier has finished ringing up the groceries and it's time to make a decision .

And since she could not make a decision , I made the decision for her . I chose some cookie crunch , m&ms . And she was like no , mimi , yes , they call me Mimi , and Mimi is music to my ears , and if you're a grandmother , you know exactly what I mean , right ?

So she was having her little meltdown , saying I wanted the chocolate candy bar , and so I was telling her though Shiloh , you're going to love these M&Ms , I know you're going to love them . But all the way to the car , she's like I'm sad , I'm sad , I wanted my chocolate candy , I wanted the chocolate candy .

We get in the car and open the M&Ms for her , and I looked back in the rearview mirror to see her eat a few . And then she said Mimi , these are good . And I said oh , I knew you would like them because I know you . And I thought about this . I thought , you know , this is us , isn't it ?

You see , she couldn't believe that those M&Ms would be good because she was so focused on something she had experienced in the past . Right , her indecision had put her in position to experience something new . However , she was resistant and I thought isn't this us with God ?

Sometimes our indecision puts us in the position to experience something new , but when God brings us something new , sometimes we are so busy , focused on our previous experience , that we just can't even imagine that the new experience is going to be better than what we experienced before .

And then we have the experience , the new experience that God brings to us , and then we're like , oh , this is really good . And so I started wondering for my own life .

I started thinking about the fact that my husband and I we are in the process of we're kind of in this church homelessness state , right , like so , we have a church home , but we know that that church home really needs to make some changes before we can return . But we have found this amazing church . It really is an amazing church .

The worship is amazing , the preaching is amazing , the freedom and worship is incredible . They have , you know , a good children's ministry . It's a good church , it's really a great church . But it's also like outside of our denomination . It's a non traditional church , even though it's very different . It's very different from our traditional style of worship .

It is technically something new and I've been wondering , like are we resisting committing to this church ? Because we are still holding on to our previous experience , experiences with our home church , and I'm wondering , if this is you as well , like it could be related to a new church .

Maybe it's related to a job , or even you know it could be related to like , if you're a single , you might have met a gentleman and you're like you know this person is much different than anyone that I've ever dated and I had that same moment with my husband .

He is , he's the sweetest man , he's the kindest , gentlest soul and he was different than my previous relationship . Maybe God is inviting you to something new , like a new hobby , maybe it's a new perspective or belief . He might even be calling you to move to a different place . Maybe it's a different place in your city , maybe it's outside of your city .

I can remember when God invited my husband and I to leave our hometown in Kentucky and to move to Alabama . I mean , we prayed hard , okay , but what we did just determine once we got here is that , oh , this is so good , it is actually one of the best moves that we've ever made , and perhaps God could be asking you to do something in a new way at work .

Or maybe there's a new opportunity for personal growth , like going back to school and not understand how hard that decision can be . I went back to seminary at 44 years old and it wasn't easy , and especially if you're a non-traditional student or if you've been out for a long time . But look , what I know for sure is that what God invites you to do .

You know what . It will be good for you because God is for you . A few months ago , I tried some sushi for the first time . I'm telling you , my family loves sushi . My husband , my children , they love it . Even one of my very best friends have tried to get me to eat sushi over the years and I was , like my granddaughter , like no .

A few months ago , I decided to be brave and it really was a brave move and I tried it Because it looks so good and it was some type of tuna roll , like you know . They have all these names and I tell you that sushi was so delicious , the flavors just exploded in my mouth and I loved it and I was like Shiloh .

I was like , oh , this is good , this is so good . You know , I say in 43 and 19 it says see , I Am doing a new thing . Now it springs up . Do you not perceive it ? I am making a way in the wilderness and Streams , in the wasteland . You know , god really could be inviting you and me To a new thing .

You know , something that's innovative and fresh , that's unprecedented . It's springing up , which means he is , he's bringing in something that's emerging . It's something unexpected . Do you perceive it ? Have you become aware or Begin to discern something or even recognize this new thing ?

The scripture says he's making a way , which means that God is clearing a path or creating a route where there's never been one before . He's making a way . He's clearing a path Not just through any place , he says . It says in Isaiah 43 and 19 I am making a way in the wilderness and Streams , in the wastelands , which means the wilderness .

He's clearing a path Through a desolate or a place that is uninhabited . Maybe he's clearing a path through a difficult situation or a challenging situation that you've been in .

I can tell you right now , even if in this very moment it is so , this is speaking to me and it says he's making a way in the wilderness and in the streams , in the wasteland , which represent a source of refreshment and provision .

Wow , he's making a way through wastelands , which is a place in our life that could be unproductive or Symbolizing a situation that doesn't have any growth . It's , it's not abundant .

God Could be inviting you and me into a new thing , but are we so focused on that experience that we had in the past that we just can't See it , that we're resisting it and listen ?

This is an invitation for us , and so I want to invite you because I know this is what I'm gonna be doing I Want to invite you to take some time to journal and reflect on what new thing God is inviting you to experience .

That's what we should do let's take some time and reflect on what new thing God is inviting us to , and my prayer for you is that , as you discover this new thing , that you won't resist it and that your response and my response when I discover this new thing will be oh , this is so Good . Thank you for listening .

I pray that this episode resonates with your heart , your mind and your soul . Don't forget to follow and share this podcast with your girlfriends . So let us go forth unapologetically fierce , unyieldingly confident and unwaveringly bold . Together , we can ignite our homes , our churches , our communities and the world . The future is ours to ignite .

You can find me on Instagram at Joyce Lenick nights and for more information about me , check out my website , wwwjoyslenluiscom . Be ignited .