Wielding an axe. Pulling up posts. Rooting out weeds. Discarding debris. Raking dirt. This is what my husband and I did as we tackled our newest summer project: building a patio. Getting the space ready was a messy and time-consuming process. It meant getting dirty, working up a sweat, and even acquiring a few scratches, courtesy of a few rogue branches, and protruding thorns.

Before our project could get underway, the backyard had to be cleared out of what was currently taking up residence: a makeshift garden enclosed by an old wire fence, populated with overgrown weeds, rocks, broken glass, and other debris. My husband dug up wooden posts and chopped away at roots, while I pulled up weeds and threw out anything else that was in the way, eventually creating an open space. I’d never been so excited to see dirt! It meant the patio could be built.

This year has seen a rooting of sorts in my life. I was laid off last year and began a job search in the new year, applying to similar positions. As the weeks passed and the pandemic brought the search to a crawl, I found myself rethinking the process. Was I meant to return to a similar job? What if this was an opportunity to explore new avenues? More importantly, was God calling me to live out my purpose?

Truth be told, over the years I’d longed to move in a different direction but had always held back, allowing the “what ifs” to masquerade as answers to my questions. In reality, these deftly sketched scenarios were fears I’d held onto for years: What if I didn’t make enough money? What if I failed? What if I made the wrong decision?

As long as these scenarios held, I continued to choose what was comfortable and secure. But now I found myself in a position where the “what ifs” could no longer assuage my desire to walk in a deeper purpose and at least consider the possibility of new reality. Not only that, the job search proved to be more elusive and harder than I’d expected. And just like the backyard needed to be cleared out, I knew that I needed to allow God to dig deep and pull up the unhealthy roots lodged in the garden of my heart.

Check out next week’s post on how rooting began the process of digging a path towards purpose.

Laura Koellhoffer, Contributor

Laura is the creator and founder of Manassah Moments. Visit her blog to find out more and click on the icons to follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

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