For years, I prayed for God to use me in a special way to change hearts and win souls for His glory. I sang in the choir, worked in the nursery, and taught toddlers on Wednesday nights, but I still questioned my purpose. Was I really making a difference? Was I really being faithful to what God wanted me to do?
I doubted myself at every turn, and I allowed Satan to convince me that I could never do enough in the eyes of the Lord. In my mind, my works were small in comparison to what others were doing for Him. I continued serving faithfully, yet I never felt fulfilled. Deep in my heart, I yearned to do more.
Finally, through prayer, daily Bible study, and gaining wisdom through my mentors, God showed me that it isn’t the size of my works but my how faithful I am in doing whatever He sets before me that pleases Him. I remember a dear friend saying, “Tracy, show God you can do the little things, and in His timing, He’ll give you the bigger things.”
Sounds like Luke 16:10, “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much” (NIV).
God taught me that little things do matter. They prepare us for the bigger things…yet I don’t know if we’re ever fully prepared. That’s where faith comes in.
The time came for God to trust me with more. When He revealed His purpose for me, boy, did I not feel prepared! I should be happy right? Be careful what you ask for.
My daddy had passed away just a couple of months prior to the profound night when the Lord made my purpose known. I was rocking my precious daughter to sleep and having my prayer time. Suddenly, I was overcome with emotion. Filled with excitement and fear, I shook all over. It was a moment like no other.
There are times in life when you just know God is speaking to you. He speaks through different means to different people. In my case, the Holy Spirit placed a thought in my mind, a feeling in my heart, and an urgency in my soul. God wanted me to share the testimony of my daddy’s battle with addiction. He wanted me to share intimate details about my incredibly dysfunctional family—but most importantly, how He worked through all of that for our good. The Lord was very clear in that He wanted me to share it all in a book.
A book?! I’m a nurse of over twenty years. I don’t write books. I don’t even like to read, truth be told. Maybe God had stopped at the wrong house that night
Isn’t it just like us humans to always doubt? I prayed for guidance, discernment, and that God would…maybe…send down a bolt of lightning to let me know this was of Him?
I just couldn’t see how I could write a book.
A couple of nights later during my prayer time in the same room, the Lord revealed more to me, along with the title of the book, Just in Time. I had my confirmation. I knew I had truly heard from the Lord. And now I needed to be faithful.
The rest of that year is a blur. I worked a full-time job and spent the rest of my time writing. Even with all the technology around me, I chose to write out the entire book on paper. It was my devotion time with the Lord.
At times, it was a struggle. I felt inadequate, incompetent, and downright unworthy. It’s easy to get discouraged when you’re thinking about your own limitations. But I learned that God’s strength and capability are limitless. His strength was made perfect in my weakness.
Prayer got me through those moments of doubt. God never failed to give me the encouragement I needed.
In May 2015, Just in Time by Tracy Morrisey—me!—was published. I’m still in awe of what God did. I may have penned the words, but truly, God was the author. Many hearts have been changed by reading this book. It has won souls for God’s kingdom—and that was my prayer! But amazingly, writing with God was also a healing experience for me. God set me free from so much pain.
Are you searching for your purpose? God’s will for everyone on this earth is to share the good news of Jesus Christ. For me, being faithful meant serving in a nursery, singing in a choir, serving a meal…and writing a book. How you do it might be different, but one thing is for sure—it always involves telling someone else how God has worked in your life. Many people will never make it inside a church to hear a sermon, but through your testimony, through your words and your acts of love, they can hear and see the love of Jesus and come to know Him.
When God comes to you and reveals your purpose, you’ll have a choice to make. You can choose to be faithful, or you can say no. You’ll be overcome with many emotions—fear, excitement, doubt, peace—but if you trust Him, He’ll be with you through every step. And your yes will be the most fulfilling sacrifice you will ever make.
Say yes, today!
Does this story strike a chord for you? Read the entire May 2018 issue here.
Written by Tracy Morrisey
Photo by Ben White
