It was a couple of years ago, while at a leaders’ conference, that I felt God tell me He wanted me to concentrate on doing more writing. At the time I was heavily pregnant with my second child, so I didn’t think it was the best time to tell me that! However I did keep hold of what He said and kept mulling it over. Since the start of this year, some opportunities have arisen that have led me to investigate writing for magazines. I had one great lead straight away, and I think I naively thought it was all going to be that easy. I didn’t think about the hundreds of other people out there all trying to do the same thing. Or the fact that editors of magazines get loads of pitches every day so mine have to stand out somehow – and yes, I have to keep coming up with original ideas myself. With a two year old always with me that is quite a tall order!

I have learned a lot since I embarked on this new phase of my career though. Yes there is an awful lot for me to do, but I can’t do everything I’ve been trying to and I need to trust God in it all too. I need to trust that as I perhaps take a small step back I can still push doors, just at a slower pace, and believe that God will still open the right ones. Perhaps it is good to be reminded now that it is futile to try and do things simply in my own strength – because I won’t be much use to my family if I set off on this new phase trying to cope in my natural abilities.