SORE THROATS & SNOW STORMS
I love how oftentimes our life looks absolutely nothing like we imagined it would.
And when we let God lead the way, it’s always SO MUCH better!
Listen, comedy is something I never saw myself doing. Even as the funny girl voted class clown, it for sure was never on my radar. The idea of standing on a stage with people staring at me…no thank you!
But God…He had other plans.
Two years ago I launched Holy & Hilarious, which is a comedy event filled with music, laughter & ministry. It was totally a Holy Spirit-inspired idea that God gave me and I am so thankful He did! I have seen firsthand the impact that laughter and joy can have in peoples’ lives and hearing attendees tell me how much they needed what God does through me always fuels my fire.
Last month, I had a packed weekend with comedy events. Living in the midwest, winter events are always risky. We found out that a huge snowstorm was in the forecast, so the team was praying against it. Praise God, the weather changed it was completely clear with great roads for driving! Saturday’s event was wildly successful and I’m so grateful that we were able to raise funds and awareness for Ray of Hope Ministries, a beautiful outreach in Uganda. The night before, we had a Valentine’s themed event at a church, which was a total blast with great food and lots of laughs!
A few days before we hopped in our candy apple red car and hit the road, I woke up with a horrible sore throat. Literally the WORST thing to get when your voice is your main asset for doing comedy!
I determined that I was not going to let anything stop me from doing these events. My commitment overrode my comfort. I quickly got antibiotics coupled with a lot of prayer and we were able to make both events, despite the physical exhaustion I felt due to the crud! His strength really is perfected in our weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9).
As great as life with Jesus is, there is no guarantee or promise of a pain-free, easy-going life. In fact, Jesus tells us that “in this world you will have trouble.” (John 16:33) Not the most exciting news, but I’m thankful He doesn’t sugarcoat things!
My commitment to my calling caused me to sacrifice my comfort because I knew I was commissioned by the Lord to carry and release the oil of joy to those who would be coming. We are called to count the cost when it comes to following Jesus (Luke 14:28), and I have found that the cost is always worth whatever the sacrifice - whether that’s my time, attention, finances, reputation or anything else. He is worthy of it all!
When I think about the sacrifices Jesus made for me, for you, I can’t help but want to give Him everything. The Bible tells us that He “willingly endured the cross” for the joy set before Him (Hebrews 12:2), and that joy before Him was us! He desired to restore relationship between God and man and pay the ultimate price at the cross so that we could be free from sin, shame and condemnation. Thank You Jesus!
So whether it’s a snow storm or a pesky sore throat, my heart is to continually give God my “yes” and refuse to let any mountain stand in the way of fulfilling my God-given destiny and calling.
My prayer for you is the same. That no matter what life throws your way, you will confidently follow Christ and live in the fullness of who He has called and created you to be.
