Trusting the Journey: Embracing Faith and Personal Transformation Beyond Material Wealth

When I sold my  truck to minimize debt and realign my priorities, I didn't realize it would mark the beginning of a transformative journey toward purpose and trusting God's plan. On our latest podcast episode, I, Lorayne Michaels, invite you to explore the intersection of faith and life's trials, as we discuss the power of patience, the courage to step outside our comfort zones, and the wisdom in heeding divine nudges that often manifest as intuition.

Embracing vulnerability, I recount personal stories that highlight the significance of surrounding ourselves with the right people and engaging in conversations that uplift rather than drain. The episode serves as a heartfelt guide on how to navigate through challenging decisions and the pursuit of true fulfillment, rather than remaining in situations that breed unhappiness. Join me as we affirm our worth beyond material possessions, learn to trust in something greater during our darkest moments, and share these messages of hope and resilience with others who may be seeking a beacon in their own lives.

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:02

Hey, it's Lorraine. As you know, it's my joy and passion to teach and encourage others through this podcast, but my heart is actually at live events. Currently, I'm available for booking, so if you're organizing a live event, I'd love to share my story. Your audience will walk away with tangible tools on how to overcome limiting beliefs, break down obstacles and discover their gifts, talents and abilities in order to live a life that God created them to live. It's not the size of the audience that's important. It's the connection and impact that I will bring. For more information, email me at lorraine at theboldbeginningscom. Hello, welcome back to the Bite Size Podcast. I'm your host, lorraine Michaels.

Speaker 1: 0:56

Today I am really excited for you, friend. I'm excited because I know that you are not listening to this on accident or by mistake. I know that God has a plan for you, just like he has a plan for me, and sometimes things don't go as planned. Sometimes things don't work out the way we would have wanted or we thought, or the way that we hoped, and so today's episode I want to unpack three things, and this is something that I have learned before and also something that I guess I had to relearn. So I guess this is coming from a place of what God has been teaching me, has taught me before, and apparently I was not walking, I don't know. I don't want to say in obedience. Well, I guess, yeah, in obedience, and the Lord had to shake things up a little bit and remind me. So the three things are trusting God even when it's hard, even when it seems impossible trusting God even more, it seems impossible trusting God even more. Second, being mindful. Not just being mindful, but being active and proactive in who you surround yourself with, not being lackadaisical about it, but being intentional and being very careful of who you surround yourself with and what you say around certain people. And third, trusting your intuition.

Speaker 1: 2:52

So I first want to start off with a devotional that I read and it was super impactful. And sometimes we read them and we gloss over them and we don't think much of it and we're like, oh yeah, god, thank you, that was a good word. But sometimes, sometimes we read it and God meets us exactly where we are in that moment, in that day, in that season, whatever it may be, but it is a perfect word from the father and it is so precious and in those moments I pray whoever's listening to this, that one, you're doing quiet time, that you're finding time to get alone with the Lord and you're able to really let his words sink in, whether it's a devotional, whether it's you're actually reading his words, scripture but you're letting it penetrate your heart and really like take root in your heart and in your mind. Because, friend, this world is so crazy right now and it's just going faster and faster and we just get so caught up in the world and worldly things and I'm guilty of that too um, of just the hustle and bustle, and when I have the time to sit down and to read and to meditate, it's so precious and it's so, it's so much sweeter.

Speaker 1: 4:26

So, um, and even if sometimes, even if I don't have time to sit down and and just really meditate on it and really concentrate on, okay, god, what are you trying to tell me right now? What are you trying to teach me right now? What am I missing? What, what, what do I need right now? Sometimes, even in the fastness of it, I'll read it and I'll be like, oh, that's good, I need to read that again and I will pray that it sticks with me throughout the day. And even sometimes, sometimes I know I'm kind of going on a rabbit trail here. Sometimes, when I'm going through it and I'm reading my devotional and it doesn't really stick with me and I'm just like, okay, yeah, thank you, god, that was a good word. My prayer then is Lord, I pray that I can use this somehow, make this come alive to me, make this situational, make this something that I'm so, I'm going to interact with someone or something's going to happen, and God, I just pray that I can pull this back, that I can remember this. So, anyways, um, everybody, everybody's prayer life is different, so I just I pray that something somewhere, uh, resonated with you in that. But here we go. This one friend, this is for somebody, because it was definitely for me. So, anyways, psalm 3320, our soul waits for the Lord. He is our help and our shield. And here's the devotional.

Speaker 1: 6:02

Many things can impede us from embracing God's will, but I want to tell you about two very common ones. Setting our focus on things of this world rather than Jesus, we become so attached to worldly issues of status and identity that we lose the bigger picture of what Christ wants to accomplish through us. Then, when God doesn't give us what we erroneously think gives us worth, we become discouraged and tempted to sin, and this is always disastrous. The second thing is taking a shortcut around God's planned route. We get tired of waiting for the Lord and we either rush ahead of Him or we go in another direction altogether. But remember, timing is everything to God. He will not change His mind about His plan for you because he has training and blessings that he wants you to enjoy Today. If you are tempted to doubt God's plan or timetable, stop and ask him to speak to your heart and encourage you as you wait. The Lord wants you to finish the course that he's set before you and be victorious in this life. So set your heart on obeying and honoring him, because that is the unimpeded path to life at its best, and the prayer for this is Jesus, speak to my heart. I set my eyes on you and wait, trusting your plan and timing. Amen, oh, friend, that is a word for somebody. I mean amen all by myself. This hit me. This hit me because both of it right, both of the things setting your focus on the things of the world rather than Jesus, and taking a shortcut around God's planned route.

Speaker 1: 8:18

I don't know which one I struggle with most. Honestly, I think it's the second one, taking a shortcut. Because here's the thing, friend, you might have heard a word, you might have had a vision, a dream, um, just that inner knowing that you were created and designed to do something. And then you get that and you hold onto it and then you realize certain things are not, um, are not for you, right. And then you realize certain things are not, um, are not for you, right. And then you go on this journey of making it happen. I'm guilty of this. So, years ago, like back in 2019, 20, yeah, 2019, I knew, I knew, knew, knew that God was calling me to something different, that I was going to be stepping away from medicine, that I was going to be leaving that season and I was called to speaking and encouraging and teaching. And so that's when I started on that journey of coaching and speaking and really helping people, and I definitely got.

Speaker 1: 9:34

I'm guilty of jumping ahead of God. And when I get this vision and I get this dream and I get this the momentum, and I get this dream and I get this the momentum, I start to take control and I put God in the passenger seat or even in the back seat, and it has taken, you know some time to realize that, and God has definitely humbled me in that, and I have to remember that God has a plan for me and I need to stick to the script. I need to stick to the plan and I need to wait patiently on God and stop trying to take the wheel and let God lead me where I am supposed to go, to the people that I need to be in community with and to the people that I need to be helping. And so it's just. It's so funny, hindsight is funny, hindsight is 2020. So here's the first part trusting. Trusting God even when it's impossible, trust him even more so.

Speaker 1: 10:46

I took it upon myself, because I wasn't getting the results that I wanted in my business, to go to work, to get a job, to go back to medicine, where I knew God was calling me out of, but I took it upon myself to go back to it because that's all I knew. I was really good at it. I am really good at it. I do have a passion for it. I have a passion for helping people. I have a passion for you know all of it.

Speaker 1: 11:17

But medicine is not what it used to be and I knew that. I knew that going back into it. But again, I wasn't trusting God fully and I took it into my own hands and I took control over it and I I jumped out of the route that God had intended for me right, and I went back to work. And so here's where I, I, um, here's my mistake, friend. I, I took control over it rather than trusting God, and it seemed impossible because I wasn't seeing the big picture, and I took control and I wasn't trusting God fully, and what ended up happening was is I put myself into an environment that disrupted my peace. It challenged me, yes, and I grew from it. Yes, um, and I'm trying to be very careful with my words here because I don't want to give an impression. I'm not better than anyone, it's just not my path Um, but some things had happened. But some things had happened where I had to make a very hard decision rather quickly, and it got to a point where I was questioning my worth, my value, I was questioning truth, and that was where I was like whoa, no more. This is it. Like God pulled back the curtain and was like okay, lorraine, you put yourself into this situation, you decided to take control and this is not where you are supposed to be, which leads into my second part, my second piece of who you surround yourself with.

Speaker 1: 13:20

There's a saying that I've said before and you might have heard it too you show me your five closest friends, your 10 closest friends, and I'll show you your future Also. Iron sharpens iron, and you might've heard that before. Right, so if you're not with iron and you're not being sharpened, what's happening? You're getting dull Again. I'm really trying to choose my words right wisely, because I'm not, I'm not above anyone, I'm not putting myself above anyone, and I also realize I need to be sharper, I need to be stronger.

Speaker 1: 13:57

I am not someone that gossips something, a term that I learned, and maybe it's a Southern thing or I don't know. I just spilling the tea. I've never heard that before until working at this hospital, but when I hear that you know, ooh, spill the tea or anything in regards to that, you are about to take part in gossip and I do not gossip, I won't. Um, if I have something to say, I'll say it's your face and I will not partake in someone gossip gossiping about someone else. I will walk away from it, and I think people know that because they don't say stuff around me, anyways, who you surround yourself with. You have to be careful who you choose to surround yourself with, and specifically with me working in the hospital. Obviously, there are some things that I can control and can't control. Obviously, I can't control who I work with, so when I'm in an environment with maybe some people or a group of people or someone who I wouldn't surround myself with otherwise, I have to be careful. I have to be careful how I act, how I respond, what I say, because things can get taken out of context, things can be misconstrued.

Speaker 1: 15:10

But what had happened and why I came to the decision of quitting the hospital was because it disrupted my peace. I knew to my core I wasn't supposed to be there. It was going against everything that I believe be there. It was going against everything that I believe there's integrity pieces that I struggled with, with how people did things, how things were run I didn't agree with and it really struggled. I struggled internally with a lot and being there and having to keep my mouth shut. I struggled with that and so this past week I quit.

Speaker 1: 15:49

There was something that had happened and it just was the last straw. It had to do with character and my character being questioned and my name being thrown around. It really challenged me to rise above and not sink down to other people's level and not play the game. And so I removed myself from this situation and I know that God is going to bless that. I know that I chose to go into it. I chose against my better judgment. I knew that I should have been patient and waited on the Lord, and I didn't. And I took control and I created income, which was great because it allowed me to help people, meet people, bless people, get me to events. I was able to pay certain things off, I was able to create a little nest egg for me and I did quit, and so now I can focus on my business and helping people and blessing people and serving people, whereas I couldn't before, and so it really showed me who I need to be careful of, who I talk to, how I talk and who I'm surrounding myself with. So you need to be careful of that. You need to make sure that you are surrounding yourself with the right people and you are a light.

Speaker 1: 17:09

If you are a Christian, if you are a believer, you need to stand up for yourself. Don't question your value, your worth, and if you are put in a position where you are compromising your beliefs, friend, I challenge you to strengthen your faith, your, your faith, bone your faith, muscle your backbone. Um, we are in a world and in a time where that is integral. If you don't stand for something, you will fall for anything, and that's my other. My third piece is trusting your intuition. My intuition from the rip was not going back into medicine, but that's all I knew.

Speaker 1: 17:55

And what happens when you are comfortable? You go back to what you know. This, this goes for relationships. If you don't heal internally, you will go back to what you know and what is comfortable. And that might be what is unhealthy for you, that might be what is not God's best for you. God calls you up, god calls you higher, god wants you to heal and be the best version of yourself. And if you are comfortable, friend, I'm going to challenge you. That is not where you are called to be. Friend, I'm going to challenge you. That is not where you are called to be. We are not supposed to be comfortable. The word even says um. The word is uncomfortable because God is constantly pruning us. Pruning is not comfortable. God is constantly wanting you to change, to grow, to level up and I don't mean like level up fiscally, I don't. I mean that might be it, but that's not what it is. That's a worldly thing, and that's something that I was talking about.

Speaker 1: 18:57

Right Is setting your focus on the things of the world rather than Jesus, and that was something that I was struggling with. I was so focused on how can I make money? What can I do to get more of this? You know I need to get to conferences, so I need more money. What can I do to get more money? And it became all the worldly things. Here's another thing that challenged me I sold my truck. I sold my truck and I got a different car so that I can have a lower payment, because I'm trying to decrease my debt and decrease my monthly expenses, so that I can serve more, so that I can help more, so that I'm not focused on making more money, but I'm focused on getting the message out there, getting this message that God put in me to help people, to encourage people, to teach people, that they have a message too and that they have a purpose and a reason.

Speaker 1: 19:54

I became so focused on growing my business that it was less about the people that I'm called to help. So, backing up, I sold my truck. That was hard. And then I asked myself why is this so hard? And here's what I came up with because it's.

Speaker 1: 20:14

I love this truck, because I wanted it, because it was a goal and I reached it. And now I feel like having to sell it means that I can't keep it, that I can't obtain it. In that I can't, I'm a failure, but that's not it. My worth, my value, is not in a truck, it's not in this worldly possession. So I was like give it up, lorraine, get rid of it. And so I did, and so, and it was hard, and but now I'm over it. I'm like great, god blessed me with a fabulous car. I love it, it's cheaper, great. And now I can focus on on less of money and more of helping people.

Speaker 1: 20:59

And so I know I'm kind of jumping all over the place here, but really, like these are the things that I really wanted to talk about today is trusting God, even when it's hard. Trust him more. And I trust God that he's leading me to speaking, to coaching, to helping people, to getting my message, that he put in me my story, my testimony of, and helping people, and I got to trust him in that. I didn't trust him fully with it, and then I went back to work and then I put myself in a really compromised position, um, and then it led to just. It led to me being hurt really, um, and then who you surround yourself with.

Speaker 1: 21:55

Part of the reason why I quit was there was some ugly things that were being said about me, some very ugly, untrue things that were being said about me, and I could have reverted to my old self and reacted in anger and with vengeance and trying to find those people that said those things about me put up a fuss to my manager, who went about it in a very unprofessional way. Um put up a fuss and went to her manager and to explain this is why I'm quitting, this is what's happening in this unit and this is why I'm leaving. But I chose to be the bigger person, to rise above this, to remove myself from the situation that is unhealthy, that is going against my core beliefs. I chose to make sure that I'm not surrounding myself with people that are going to bring me down. I chose to not surround myself with people that um are hateful and are are just ugly, and I don't mean like physically ugly, but ugly in a sense of their spirit is ugly. Um, they are not loving and kind, um, they're hurtful. And I'm not, I'm not going to entertain that, I'm not going to put myself in that position.

Speaker 1: 23:22

And then, trusting my intuition, my intuition told me not to go back to medicine. And I did it anyway and I shouldn't have. And now I know, and my intuition is, you know, that I'm called to help people, I'm called to encourage people. I'm called to help people. I'm called to encourage people, I'm called to help equip them with the word. The word is the truth and it's living and it's full of promises that God promises us. So I'm called to equip you and to tell you that you have a purpose and a reason. And you know, here's the other thing is if you're miserable, where you're at, you're not supposed to be there. If it's a job, a relationship, whatever it is, if you're miserable and it's disrupting your peace, I'm a living, breathing example of you can do it, you can get out of it, you can do it. And you can get out of it. You can do it.

Speaker 1: 24:19

And you might be saying, lorraine, I can't quit my job, I've got bills to pay. Friend, I do too. I have bills to pay also. Yes, I don't have all of them, because my husband does pay for the majority of them, but I have bills I have to pay too. And what did I do? I saved up. I have a nest egg and I am fully dependent on God and what he is going to lead me to, and I know he's going to lead me to something greater. I know something is going to come of this. I know my purpose will prevail. I know it, know it and I'm confident in it.

Speaker 1: 25:03

But I want to encourage you. You can quit. You can quit your job. If you are not called to be there. If this is disrupting your peace and you are not happy there, you can quit. There's a way around it. Reach out to me. I can give you the. I'll give you your first tip Go get Amy Porterfield's book Two Weeks.

Speaker 1: 25:18

Notice. That helped me multiple times. But reach out to me. I would love to help walk you through the steps and how you can remove yourself from where you're at and live the life that you were called to live. So, friends, I hope this served you.

Speaker 1: 25:43

Um, the the book also that I had, the devotional that I read to you is called God's purpose for your life. It's a 365 day devotional by Charles Stanley. It is amazing. I have read this now for I don't know three years in a row and I still like I don't think I have ever read a devotional from it and was like, oh, I remember this because God has a word for me every day, and it's different and you're in a different season anyways. And then the other devotional which is amazing I didn't read from it today, but it was a word today is called the Confident Woman Devotional, and it's another 365 day devotional by Joyce Meyer. The Confident Woman Devotional by Joyce Meyer, too amazing. And then, obviously, the word the Bible. That helps me every single day.

Speaker 1: 26:39

Friend, thank you so much for being here. Thank you for listening. Um, I just love coming on here and I love talking to you and I love being raw with you, and today was a little bit difficult for me because I have such a heavy heart to get out what has happened in my life recently and I really know that it's for somebody out there, but it was I had to be very careful with my words today. So, anyways, you were divinely created for divine purpose and there's a reason for you and I just pray for you, friend that you are living the life that God created for you. So trust God. When it's hard and seems impossible, lean into that and trust God even more. Be careful with who you surround yourself with, because it will penetrate your soul and you have to protect your peace.

Speaker 1: 27:41

Trent Shelton says this all the time protect your peace and trust your intuition. What your gut tells you is usually right, and that's the Holy Spirit. It's not a coincidence, it's not. Yeah, trust your intuition. That's the Holy Spirit. It's not a coincidence, it's not. Yeah, trust your intuition. That's the Holy Spirit trying to tell you something. So, if this has been helpful to you, I would love for you to subscribe. I would love for you to share with someone, give it a review and tag me if you have listened to this, because I want to connect with you and I will repost and share what you got out of this. So, friend, have a great day.