Obey quickly!
On January 5th, fresh off my December social media fast, I was looking at my LinkedIn account to check for connection requests or messages I may have missed during my time away. To my surprise, there was a private message from December. It was sent by a C-Suite Executive I’d recognized as a speaker from the conference I spoke at in Minnesota. Her message explained that she was working on a project and wanted to have a “virtual coffee” with me to discuss it further.
After reading the message several times, I was sure it was spam. No way a woman of her caliber would reach out to me directly. Besides, we didn't even get a chance to meet at the conference so I was sure she was looking for someone else. Still, I didn’t want to miss a potential networking opportunity, especially if it turned out to be real. So, I accepted her invitation.
During our virtual coffee she explained the project she was working on, the benefits, and the desired audience. Although her presentation was thorough and well-designed, I still didn’t understand how she found me or how I could help. I tried asking less direct questions at first but I still couldn't make the connection. Finally, I decided to ask, "How did you findme? How can I help you?” She smiled and replied, “I’ve been looking for someone with your skills for a while and haven’t been able to find anyone. One day I decided to search LinkedIn for someone with your skillset and your profile popped up. And I remembered hearing you speak at that conference in Minnesota.” Yall, I was shocked! No, speechless!
Since that day, I’ve been working with her. And she agreed to my consultant fee WITH NO NEGOTIATION!
We’ve been working together for a few weeks now and I’m still in awe. No one could’ve orchestrated this but God. Only God would allow me to be the answer that a C-Suite Executive was looking for. With all the resources at her disposal, in her state alone, the Lord allowed her to find me. There are people with more experience, more credentials, a better portfolio, etc. but she wanted me. That’s why I know it wasn’t my credentials alone that opened this door. It was obedience.
You see, I didn’t want to do that social media fast in December. I didn’t want to ever fast from social media. In fact, I was willing to fast from anything except social media, but that’s not what God desired. I kept trying to offer other types of sacrifice but He’d already made it clear what He wanted. I didn’t want to admit it but social media had become a slight addiction. I was using it for news, entertainment, pleasure, and distraction. It was the first thing I checked in the morning and the last thing I checked before bed. So eventually, I surrendered, said “Yes” to His will, and neglected mine. And honestly, my life has not been the same. I feel more inspired and I have more clarity, an increased appetite for the Word and worship, and greater sensitivity to the Spirit.
Sis, hear me clearly, this season is about your obedience. It’s not about your credentials, your financial status, your marital status, your age, your race, your gender, etc. The only qualification in this season is saying “Yes” to God. He’s using the ones who respond to His voice to accomplish His will. So, obey quickly! And follow every detail, no shortcuts. Even if you don't understand, even if you’re afraid, even if there’s opposition, obey. It’s like my Bishop says, “Be obedient and let your understanding catch up.”