Bonus Episode: Rebecca Dotson George on The Collide Podcast

I was so thrilled to be on The Collide podcast with my new friend Willow Weston! We had such a fun conversation that I wanted to be able to share it with you here in our community. It's posted as a bonus episode for you and the episode transcript is below. Make sure and go subscribe and listen to their encouraging content!

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Episode Transcript

Welcome to the collide podcast. We're a growing community of everyday checks, colliding with Jesus in our mess, our pain, our joy, and our stories. We value showing up as we truly are. So that's what you'll find here, walls and masks being torn down so that we can allow Jesus to meet us where we truly are and hear about other women doing the same.

We can't wait to collide with you. We don't really play the long game. We just think, okay, I have this longing, what do I do about it today? What do I do about it? You know, in this season, when I think. A lot of times, if we would just be still enough before God, a lot of times more may just mean one small step of obedience after one small step of obedience at a time.

Welcome to the week collide podcast. I'm Willow Weston, the founder and director of Clyde. And I'm so excited today to have Rebecca Dotson George on the podcast, Rebecca, as a speaker, a writer and host of the do the thing movement podcast. And she is wildly passionate about walking alongside others in their pursuit of making God known.

Through their own unique calling. It is her life mission to leave the world more like Jesus than she found it. She is married to her husband, Dustin who's the pastor of East Haven Baptist church. And she is a dog mom to Jasper George who's. Apparently the cutest dog you've ever seen. She loves cakes, long distance running and time with her family in Tennessee.

Rebecca, it is so fun to have you on the podcast today. I'm glad you're here. Yes. Uh, thank you so much for having me. Hey, tell us about how you got into this gig. You have of speaking, writing, coaching, and podcast hosting. I mean, that's not something you just kind of wake up and all of a sudden you're doing.

Sure. Yeah. So thank you so much for that awesome introduction. And what I would say is, you know, a few years ago, um, my mom went through a pretty, pretty crazy season. She is now a breast cancer survivor, but in 2014, she was diagnosed with breast cancer and we kind of walked through that season with her and God gave me.

Just a really special ministry for that season. And even until today, where I, um, had to have a ministry called eight 18 ministries where we package handmade. Hats. And they're either crocheted knitted or sewn, and we package them with letters of encouragement and deliver them into hospitals all over the country.

And that was something just sort of born out of her journey that I felt like the Lord wanted me to do to encourage people facing things similar to her. And the special thing that came that was not at all what I was expecting. And that was. And, you know, at a very young age, I had just graduated college and my mom was facing all of this.

And God was kind of nudging me to take these steps forward. And so, you know, with shaky steps, I took those steps forward and started that ministry. And as that grew, you know, you have the opportunity to speak and tell your story to groups of people or, you know, at different events and things like that.

And. The more, I walked into this whole journey and the more I shared and the more I spoke each time you do that, you talk to people afterwards, right? You're a speaker. You you've been in this game a while as well. And people are so kind and so brave and so vulnerable to just share kind of what God's been putting on their hearts after you've shared.

I think it reminds me of that quote. I don't remember who originally said it, but it's along the lines of, you know, as we take our steps of obedience forward, we kind of inadvertently give other people permission to do the same. Right. And so I would have these conversations with people where they would say, you know, man, I'm so encouraged to hear that, you know, God brought about that ministry from that season and your mom's life.

And. You know, in my own way, I have my own version of that story, but how did you take that first step forward? Or, you know, how would you encourage me in that? And. Really I had enough of those conversations where I really felt my next step. And my next nudge from the Lord was kind of creating a community around, encouraging people in that.

And so you mentioned the name of the podcast, do the thing movement, which basically. You know, is our community around just encouraging and equipping people who are chasing after their calling in using, you know, their gifts and their talents that God's given them and blessed them with to make God famous.

And, you know, we, we talked about the book a little bit before we got on the air, but you and I are both working on books right now. And as I'm learning more about my community, I'm learning that, you know, it's not just. Ministry leaders. It's not just, um, you know, bloggers or people in our space that, you know, long for this encouragement, it is really people and our, just our generation, mainly in the millennial gen X, those two generations that are really just.

Seeking God for their next steps and my job, I just feel like I recently kind of got a grasp on how to say this, but I feel like in this season it almost looks like me being a track coach for people in their calling. So, you know, we all have our own lane that we're called to run in, um, to make God known in.

And my job, I feel like in this way is just. To encourage people to keep their eyes on Jesus, to stay in their lane, right. Not to look to the right or to the left or compare ourselves to other people to not slow down and just to not quit. Right. And so all of those pieces are things that I'm passionate about just walking along, alongside other people to kind of help them in that.

I have so many questions done pack all of, all of that. Awesome. Ask you a million things about sort of coaching people to get in their lane and run, uh, take us back to before your mom had cancer and. You know, what, what was your sense of calling before that? Were you kind of like the typical college student who's sort of changing majors and one day you're going to be a nurse and the next day you're going to be, I mean, were you all over the place, did you have a strong sense that you knew you wanted to write?

You knew you want to speak, you knew wanting to coach, or did it actually sort of take hardship, was hardship necessary to push you towards this calling? Sure Willow. I think that's a great question. And I think it's both. And so I was an exercise science major in college, and I knew at that point in my life that God had given me a heart to walk alongside and encourage other people, I think at 18, 19, 20 years old, that's about all I had figured out and.

I was also super passionate about, um, about working out. I always loved sports, not necessarily playing sports, I enjoyed watching them, but I was always in the gym and just enjoyed group exercise and all those things. So I got a personal training certification and thought, okay. You know, with my 18 year old brain, here's about all I have figured out.

I know. I love people. I know. I love walking alongside people. I'm pretty passionate about this whole fitness thing. So how about I just combine all of that together into a career. And so I did that for awhile and I loved it. Absolutely fell in love with it, and I loved walking alongside people and coaching them in that way.

And, you know, figuring out the why behind, you know, Sure. They hired me to train them for a few months to get ready to go on that cruise. But what's the, what's the why behind why they're in the gym and unpacking their story, you know, in the time that we had together during our sessions. So I loved kind of being in that seat of being a coach.

I just don't think, you know, at that point I could have maybe. Known where God would take me in that. And so, as any college student, does you reach a point in life where, you know, you graduate and things like having benefits and things like that in a stable income become very important. And so I. I got my first kind of corporate job where, um, it was a mix of corporate wellness with some HR responsibilities.

And I worked with an awesome team of people. I loved that season of my life. There were many believers on my team that just, um, really cheered me on and were mentors in my life during that season. But I realized that. While it was very stable and very awesome in that season of my life, which was actually when my mom went through her cancer journey.

So I was thankful that in that season, I didn't have to, you know, be concerned with, um, kind of those everyday things of life, like a stable income and benefits and all of that. But, um, In that I felt God kind of calling me to more than just the corporate life. And so, um, it was in that season that I started that the ministry that we talked about and, you know, back to your original question, I do think that the actual realization of.

God bringing me to this place of knowing that it's walking alongside people and figuring out their calling and stewarding that. Well, I do think that that the. Specificity of that came out of the hardship of my mom's journey. Absolutely. You know, it's interesting. Cause you, you mentioned the call to more, there was this call.

There's more for me. And I feel like in a lot of the work that we do at collide with women, we are hearing that. All the time that there's this kind of feeling that there's something more for me and yet, so many women don't know what to do then with that, I'm wondering if you can kind of describe maybe for yourself or what you're seeing in other people, uh, that, that sense of, of what does that feel like to feel like there might be more, yeah.

I love that question, because I think I'd always want to level set this conversation in a biblical way versus what we might see in the world. So I think in our society right now, sort of this hustle culture boss, babe. Type mentality is very common, right? So we can take, you know, I feel made for more and take it in the direction of that must mean I I've got to get up earlier and drink all the water and make myself a, to do list and do all the things and be all the things to all the people at all of the times when that's.

You know, in, in God's eyes and in his economy, that's, that's not necessarily the key to success or fulfillment. Right. And when we look to the world, that's what we're going to see. So kind of in that personal development space right now, I think that there's a lot of messaging out there in the world that we just have to strive for more and be more, but in the eyes of God, that is.

That is not the case. Right. As a redeemed child of God, he sees us as his child. He sees Jesus's righteousness. When he looks at us, we're his workmanship right. Created for good works far and advanced belonged before we were born, that that God was preparing us to do. And so I think a lot of times when we have this longing for more.

We, we miss the forest for the trees or whatever that that saying is where we, um, we don't really play the long game. We just think, okay, I have this longing, what do I do about it today? What do I do about it? You know, in this season, when I think. A lot of times, if we would just be still enough before God, a lot of times more may just mean.

One small step of obedience after one small step of obedience at a time. Does that make sense? Absolutely. Do you remember in that time where you had this sense that there was more that you wanted to do, you're walking through this incredible hardship with your mom and you were. Seeing needs, it sounds like in people with similar experiences as your mom, and you did just take the next step, you, you thought of ways that you could meet people where they're at in that place.

And it sounds like you started doing it. Do you remember moments in specific ways that God showed up and called you forward to take next steps? Sure. Yeah, I do. So. You know, in the beginning when my mom lost her hair, which is of course a big moment in any cancer journey, I started crocheting her hats, which I had known how to crochet and knit since I was a little girl, my great grandmother taught me when I was super young.

And so it kind of picked that skill back up and made her some, and simultaneously I felt God kind of nudging me towards. Some form of encouraging other people. And there came a point where, you know, my mom had enough hats and, and I just thought, you know, this is a super fun project right now for me. So how could I encourage other people kind of packaging together?

The things that really encouraged my mom. And so then I'll start walking down that path of all right. You know, letters of encouragement and I'll package them with these hats, I'll donate them to her treatment center. And so I just started doing that on my own first. And there was there's this basket that she would take them and.

And other people also, you know, had donated hats and, um, there was a place where you could leave them. And so I did that for a while and kind of just started taking those baby steps towards, you know, becoming as I call it, you know, uh, an actual thing. Right. And so I did things like I opened a PO box where, you know, One day down the line.

When somebody wanted to ship things to me, that they had made, they would have a place to do that. And one of the stories I love telling is, you know, I bought that PO box and I pass that post office every day on my way home from my corporate job. And every time I passed it, I just prayed that God would send people to come alongside me.

And I can't tell you how many times I went to that post office and, you know, like any entrepreneur minded, human being, you know, you get excited thinking, maybe this'll be the time that, you know, there'll be a box waiting on me. And I left that post office disappointed many, many, many times, but. I will never forget the day that I walked in and I opened up my parcel locker and there was a key inside, which meant that, you know, there was a box in a, in another larger locker.

And so I walked over and I opened it up and in that locker was a box from a lady named Alice and I had absolutely no idea who Alice was and Alice had. A, I believe it was her sister, somebody that her sister knew, heard about what God was doing, kind of through my mom's story. And she had been crocheting these hats for months, and she had shipped me this whole huge box of, of these beautiful crocheted hats.

And she had written letters of encouragement to go with each one of them. And. I had no idea in the background when I was praying on my drive home each day, you know, that she was waiting in the wings behind the scenes, just waiting for God to give her an opportunity to use. Her gift of crocheting and encouraging people.

And, um, there are many more Alice's in the story of eight, 18 ministries, but you know, that moment was really special. And I think to some degree, anybody who is walking into some type of journey like this, they're going to have moments for it. Like that, where God will meet them in those prayers. And, um, so that was a, that was a special one for me.

I love that story so much. It's, it's so beautiful how God kind of puts signposts for us along the way to tell us that we're on and we do just indeed need to keep taking one step. Forward right after the other. And it sounds like that's what you were doing. And even when you couldn't see it, you were asking him to show you and he did.

And isn't that just what we need. It kind of gives us fuel w to keep running. Yeah. Absolutely. And I think, you know, when we look throughout scripture, you always see example after example of the blessing coming on the other side of a step of obedience. Right. And that can feel really scary, but. But that's real, you know?

And so just having the courage really to just take that step, um, is huge. But that is when God will just, Scott will just bless that. So you buy the PO box before Alice shows up, right? You pray, you, you buy that praying and believing that God is going to provide and he will, you know, in his timing. And so, so yeah, that's been huge in my story.

Yeah, such a good word by the PO box before the Alice comes. Hey, you mentioned that you have had this sense that you're really love encouraging people, and you kind of see yourself as a track coach. And I just want to hear from the track coach, I mean, what are some things that you're seeing are really holding women back from their calling?

Yeah. I think a few of them really are, and this is in part, what I'm writing, writing the book about are just the emotions that we overcome in our own heads. As we kind of walk this out. And so sitting in front of me as my super rough draft of, of the book that like we were talking about before we got on the air, but.

You know, a lot of the things I'm writing about are one, you know, how do we overcome feeling unqualified for our calling, right. And, and that could not be more contrary to God's heart for us. Right. He has equipped us. Like I said earlier, we are his workmanship. And I think so many times we don't see ourselves through the same lens that God sees us.

And in those moments, um, those thoughts. Aren't coming from God, right? Those are coming from the enemy. And one story that I love telling is again, kind of related back to sports, but it goes way, way back to kind of my elementary school days, because I think a lot of the way that we think in a way that we think about our calling, sometimes there are moments in our past that have shaped the way that we think about.

Ourselves or the way that we think about our calling even now as adults. So, good example of that for me is, um, a playground for a moment of mine in elementary school. So do you remember playing kickball when you're in elementary school? Oh yeah. Okay. Okay. So I can vividly remember when I was in, I mean, you know, probably third or fourth grade kind of ascending that Hill at my elementary school, down to the baseball field and.

At that point in my life, I knew very little about baseball. I knew that it was very boring to me, and I knew that me and any type of contact with a ball was typically not a good thing. And I remember going down to the field and first of all, there's that horrific. Exercise of picking teams. Right. And I was not known to be super athletic.

And so it was one of the last kids picked for the kickball team or whatever have you. And so then we go and we start playing kickball. And I remember sort of this moment of feeling like. Did I miss the class where they taught everybody how to play kickball, because I have no clue what's going on right now.

And so I remember stepping up to play and I remember kicking the ball. I remember thinking, okay, the girl that went before me, she ran to like first base, I guess, is what they're calling it. You know, like I had just, I had no idea what was going on. But it seemed like everybody else did. Hmm. And I just think so many times, especially in the world that we live in right now, we look around on social media.

And again, we take our eyes off of our own lane and we look at very picturesque, highlight real versions of people's lives. And we think did I miss the class where. People learn how to figure this whole thing out. Right. And, you know, it's just kind of that feeling of I'm just ill-equipped for this. Right.

And it, it kinda, in those moments for me, it takes me back to why I hate kickball and, um, you know, just that feeling of, of inadequacy. But I think. A lot of the time, what I come back to, as you know, back to like a track coach type mentality is just bringing people back to remembering who they are in Christ and that these thoughts of, you know, fear or feeling unqualified or judged or any of these things, those thoughts did not come from God.

They came from our enemy. Yeah, it's so interesting. I mean, I think so many of us assume that God picks teams, like we pick teams, right. Somehow, you know, when we pick teams, we're going to pick the most experienced, the strongest, the most influential, the, you know, we have. Certain ways we pick teams. And then when we look at the history of God with humanity in the Bible, and he picks the most unlikely as people to join his team.

And I think that can encourage us. In fact, I actually wrote a Bible study that we have a lot of traction with women in our, um, community called the SU. And it's all about kind of those. Inadequacies and insecurities that play out and hold us back all the ways that we say, not me, not me, not me because of this, not me because of this.

And God is like, yes, you, that he picks the least likely people to be on his team. And as soon as we get that, it'll be us that he's using to do amazing things. But I think. You're absolutely right. And we need more people like you to cheer us on and remind us that it's not about feeling qualified. It's just about saying yes to God's call on our lives.

Absolutely. And the thought, or the quote just kinda came to mind of, you know, you look throughout scripture and you see, and you find that. God qualifies the called. He doesn't call the qualified. Right. And I think in our own humanity and in our own version of what we can understand about the kingdom of God, this side of eternity, we often, like you said, we think about God, the way we think about ourselves and our peers and things like that.

And, um, we forget that we. Have the Holy spirit dwelling inside of us. Right. We can rely on his strength and his power and his discernment that he gives us. And we're not out there on a limb doing this by ourselves. And we so often live like it. And I think that's how we get in that pit of feeling like.

You know, we don't have it all figured out or we're not good enough, or what have you, is we forget whose we are and we forget just basic attributes of God that are never going to change. Despite what season we're in.

most of us desire to do amazing things with our lives, but we often doubt that we can, we let our weaknesses boss around our strengths and our insecurities drown out our gifting. But what if God could use exactly what we've got to pull off something big. Our book titled. Yes, you is a beautifully designed full color.

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How much are you seeing people getting held back by comparison and thinking they have to be like Suzy? Oh, all the time. All the time. Yeah. I wrote a whole chapter about it in my book. Um, I think it's rampant. I think that, especially in our generation, I don't think there's ever been such an opportunity.

To take our eyes off of our own lane. You know, we. If you're in any type of entrepreneur space or you have a business or a ministry or whatever, you know, you're on social media, you are seeing what the trends are. You're, you're doing that kind of research, which is all, you know, a good and a healthy practice.

But I think it allows for that opportunity where you're, you're looking to you. The rider to the left. And there's reason for that in a sense of, you know, knowing, knowing what's out there and whatever. But I think that we so easily are overcome by those feelings of comparison because you know, we're forgetting that she has a lane, right?

Susie has got her own lane. Susie is making God known in her own lane. Willow. You've got your own lane. You are running hard after God in that lane. And that is the lane and the land that God has called you to fulfill. And so. Rather than cheering Susie on. I think oftentimes we think we need to be Suzy or chase after our calling like Susie.

When in fact God has called us to something altogether different, it might be similar, but you are wired with giftings and talents and. Ways to glorify God within your sphere of influence that quite frankly, nobody else living on earth right now has right. That looks different for every person. And so I think if we would just stay focused and keep our eyes on the Lord and stay in our lane and shear other people on in their lanes run in beside us, it would really help us kind of from getting stuck in that pit of comparison.

It's so interesting because I, I talk to women so often who it's almost like they, they are waiting for their personality or their giftings to change, which isn't going to happen. What's your advice for finding contentment in. The lane that God has given us and being okay. That it looks different than someone else's lane.

Sure. Well, I'll use my own personal story as an example. So you asked me a really good question at the beginning, Willow. And you said, you know, where did you begin to see this gift of coaching and encouraging other people? And when I answered, I said, You know, really in high school, I started figuring out, you know, I love encouraging people.

I don't know what that's supposed to look like, but I've always known that that was inside of me. And I think to some extent, whatever that looks like for. Your listener, they have at least to some degree, some self-awareness that, you know what, yeah, this is how God's gifted me. And I think sometimes maybe we wish that looked different or maybe we have calling in V as I, as I call it of, you know, somebody else's, you know, journey, which again, those thoughts, I don't think those came from.

The Lord. I think those also came from the enemy, but I think when we're in that mode, we forget, you know, our inner workings and how God has called us. To again, just make him known and bring him glory. And I think, you know, it's asking yourself the question and in my heart of hearts, what are the things that I know that, you know, I don't, I don't have to work.

To enjoy, or when I do X, Y or Z thing, it gives me so much life as, as I will often say, you know, what are those things in your life? And what does it look like to glorify God in that? And. You know, I think it's the, it's the cross section of those two things that is your lane. And I think when you find that, whether, whether it's, you know, your vocational career or it's something that you're doing on the side, um, that is when you know, you're going to feel as if.

You know what, yeah, I'm running hard in my lane. I don't have to look to the right or the left. I know that this is what God's called me to do. What's your advice for people who know that they're not in the lane they're supposed to be in and they know there's more for them, but it's require a letting go or a sacrifice of something to get in the lane.

They know they're made for. Yeah, I think that is something a lot of people do battle with. And I think if you search your past and there's probably some degree of you feeling like. Yeah, maybe I have to fit into this mold or maybe somebody had an expectation that this is a, this is a timeless example, but it just came to mind.

You know, my dad was a doctor and so my whole life. I'm not saying my dad was doctor, I'm saying this, this listener of yours, maybe their dad was a doctor and you know, their whole lives around the kitchen table or centered around, you know, healthcare. And so maybe they're in college and you know, they're in a premed major and they are miserable.

And they're right where, you know, this, this kind of question is centered around of, I don't know what is it, but this is not it. And what I would encourage is just. You know, yes. It's going to require a very high degree of surrender, which, which is just, which is just our life, right? Like following, following Christ, it.

That is that is it. It's totally giving over, you know, our desires, our selfish desires for what is going to most befit his glory. And I would say there's, there's so much more joy and there's so much more fulfillment that comes with just running hard after the way that you know, God's wired. You. And doing that unapologetically.

And I think the trade of, you know, maybe expectations placed on you or, or whatever that is the trade of maybe disappointing. Those people is going to be so much less than, you know, a lifetime. Of running in a lane that really wasn't yours to run it in the first place. And I, and I know that for that listener, that probably feels really hard and that probably feels very impossible at this current season.

But what I would say is, you know, don't get overwhelmed by kind of the long game in that, but, you know, maybe it's, you know, you're in that premed major and maybe your next step is exploring. You know, what does it look like to change majors, to head in a direction that you know is more in line with what you're gifted and talented in.

If you know your post-college and you're in career life, and maybe, maybe your church has started this new ministry that you feel, man. The way that I'm wired, that would be a really good fit for me. Maybe it's just sitting down and having coffee with somebody that you know, is in that field of study, whatever would be your first step towards making that change, I think is huge.

So just not getting overwhelmed by, by the whole journey, but just, again, it goes back to, I think, taking those small steps of obedience over and over and over again. So good. I mean, I think about as you're talking, I, and meet with a lot of women who they're already kind of want to be there. But the road is long and hard, and they often are looking at other people who are doing what they want to do and frustrated that they're not already there.

I mean, young women who want to be in ministry and want to start a nonprofit or want to speak or whatever will come and, and want to talk with me and ask, you know, how they can get there. But sometimes I'm like, I th I'm 25 years in here, like this has been road and it's step after step after step of following God, you know, you don't all of a sudden wake up leading something, you know, you start by trying your hand at volunteering somewhere.

All the way back to I was a youth leader and I went to youth group every week. And then I started a Bible study with some girls and I invested in them. I cried with them and I hung out with them and I drove them places and pick them up after school and walked through their parents' divorce. And, you know, then I was in college ministry like it's years and years.

And I think a lot of times people set their sights on the end goal. And forget about all the steps through all days, months, and years w went to the place that finally they'll feel like they're in their lane. Oh yeah. And I th I think the best example in my life, and I love telling the story of that very thing is.

So, I, I don't think we've talked a lot about this yet, but I am a runner. I love long distance running. It's been a big hobby of mine for a long time. And I used to train with this training group where I lived at the time and Knoxville, Tennessee, and I made this friend, her name is Gina. She still is huge mentor in my life.

Um, this year, the spring, she qualified for the Olympic trials and gotten. Got to go and run the marathon trials and Atlanta, Georgia back in, I think it was February and has just had this beautiful career of just. Running and she's a mom and she loves the Lord and is just such, such a light in the running community in that city.

And I met her after I ran my first marathon and somebody introduced us just knowing we both love Jesus and we just have similar personalities, you know, you two need to meet. And so we met up and we went on a run and the more I got to know her, the more it was just. You know, I saw this life that she was living and how God was using her.

And I wanted to qualify for the Boston marathon. And I, I wanted to, you know, be at the level that she was running at. And, you know, I think a lot of times we compare our first 5k to somebody else's 15th marathon. Right. And, and we want to be there when we haven't done, you know, the hard work to go from point a to point B to get to point w right.

And, and I think that's hard for a lot of people to grasp, you know, but you have both, you and I are writing books right now. Before we got on the phone, we both admitted, you know, this idea has been on our hearts for years. Right. And we still haven't seen it come to fruition. And I think it's just really trusting the Lord in kind of the meanwhile of that.

That is important. And just staying the course, you know, you, you look at anybody who has planted a church or started a ministry or written a book. It, it did not happen overnight. Um, I guarantee you, you know, there were times that were frustrating. There were seasons that were frustrating, but again, it's just being faithful in those small steps.

And again, just not taking your eyes off, you know, your own calling onto other people's that super important. So good. Hey, this word calling the very idea of it sort of invokes this sense that. God is speaking to you that you're experiencing this divine sort of invitation with your life to take part and participate in something you are made to do for the people listening, who they, they want that.

But the idea of hearing from God is something that they feel like they have a hard time doing, or they feel like God doesn't speak to them. God speaks to other people. Where would you invite them to look? Or what would you invite them to do to begin to hear the voice of God and the Callie has on their life.

What comes to mind is a quote by a w Tozer that I love. And I hope I get the wording correctly, but it's something along the lines of. You know, what you think about when you think about God is the most important thing about you. And, you know, I like you, I host a podcast and had a conversation with this girl a couple of weeks ago around theology, and it's going to be a great episode.

I'm super excited about it, but she said something that really hit me. She said, you know, a lot of people get intimidated by, you know, things like. Theology or discerning the voice of God, et cetera. But she made a good point. She said, you know, whether you know it or not, you, you do have your own version of theology.

Right? We all have our own version of what we think about God, but we think about, um, you know, The scriptures are pursuing our calling all of these things. I think it's just a matter of how intentional we are about it. Right. And I think, you know, where I would tell people to start if maybe that feels overwhelming to you, or maybe you're new in your walk with Christ is the best place that you can go is the word of God.

And just being in the word. Every day, whether that looks like, you know, maybe it's better for you to do that early in the morning and start your day with the word. I love people who make that, you know, a discipline in their lives. That's not always the case for me. I just did my quiet time right before we hopped on the phone, because it didn't happen early this morning, but, um, you know, spending time in his word, but then it just as important.

If not more important than that spending time in prayer, you know, it's, we can't hear the voice of God or discern that voice if we're not in communion with him, if we're not talking to him on a regular basis. And so just being very intentional about that time is super important. And especially, you know, if you're navigating some of these waters that are pretty marquee that we've talked about throughout this interview, you know, What better time to start that practice and just, you know, spending time, not only talking to God, but being still enough to listen, you know, maybe if that sounds ambiguous or scary to you, you know, maybe just starting with, okay.

Today. I. Am going to set a timer on my phone and not in a legalistic way, but just so that I don't even have to look at my phone until maybe the timer goes off. So that can just still my mind. I'm going to spend five or 10 minutes just talking to God. Right. Maybe that's your starting place, or, you know, maybe, maybe you feel a little more comfortable with, you know, the idea of quiet time and maybe journaling is something that, you know, you want to start as a practice and, you know, each day maybe you make a list of kind of what you're asking of God or, or just main prayer requests that you have that way you can see over time, how he meets you in that and how he does lead you and guide you.

Um, you know, I don't think there's any perfect answer of what that's gonna look like for, you know, each person. But I think, um, the intentionality of just spending time with him, even when maybe we're in a busy season, I would argue we are never, we're never going to be too busy for God. And if we are, I think our priorities are.

Add a line, right? Like if we don't have time in our day to spend time with God, then I just would say, I would take a look at kind of what you have going on and kind of what you're considering a priority, because, you know, especially in light of kind of pursuing, you know, that calling and that those gifts and those talents God's given you, um, That's gonna take a lot of prayer.

That's going to take a lot of just being still before God and that's hard heart work. Right. And so I would just encourage, you know, just start small if that's not currently a part of your life and just, just trust that, you know, God is going to meet you in that. And he's going to work in your heart in that time, even when you're taking small baby steps, you know, as you're talking, I was just thinking, you know, so often we want to calling, but not a color.

I think your encouragement to us is to stop and pause and make space and listen to the caller because there is a God who speaks. There is a God who has a plan for all of our lives. He has a destiny, a unique calling, but we have to make space to listen to the caller, to know what our calling is, and to allow our calling to unfold in the way that it's.

Made to, and to know what our next steps are. We really need to be listening for, for God, our color. So I love encouragement, and I know that, um, we need to wrap things up, but before we do w to the amazing woman who is the podcast host for the podcast, do the thing movement and you who are this. Almost like a track coach for people in their calling.

What's your just kind of final pep talk of what you want to most encourage women as they listen to this. Uh, and they desire to live into their calling, but they're being held back. Yeah, I would say. Don't go another day being held back by, you know, feelings of feeling unqualified or, or some of these things that we've talked about.

One thing that I'll say super often is the way that you see you really does change everything. And just really keeping in perspective who we are in Christ and really seeing yourself and your calling through the same lens as. God's word. Um, it's just super, super important. So just keeping your eyes on that, keeping your eyes on that lane that God has called you to run in.

Don't take your eyes off of it. Keep your eyes on him. And, um, I think it's in that place that we can best encourage and cheer other people along in theirs as well. So, Rebecca. Thank you so much for the work that you do, the way that you are impacting lives and calling people to recognize what it is that the Lord is asking them to participate in in this world too.

Make it a better place. I just appreciate you. I appreciate your coaching today. And I'm wondering how can people connect with you? Yeah, absolutely. So I am on Instagram and Facebook. I'm at Rebecca Dotson, George D O T S O N. George and those places. I also am new to Pinterest, but trying my hand at that during this crazy season where we have more time on our hands and you can find the, do the thing movement podcast, anywhere you listen to podcasts by just searching that name.

I love it. Thank you for hanging out with us. Yes. Thanks for having me.

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