I love teaching, I knew I connected well with my students, and I felt really fulfilled from my job. ⁣

So when I prepared to return to work after taking maternity leave with my first child, and I received a strong prompting to resign from my job at the end of the school year, I was shocked. ⁣

That wasn’t my plan. ⁣

That wasn’t what I wanted. ⁣

But I also could not deny that prompting— resign from teaching at the end of the year. ⁣

I realized that when I told people about my resignation at first, I would “blame” it all on God. ⁣

“I wanted to keep working, but I got a super strong prompting to quit so I guess that’s what I’m doing!”⁣

I had my own will.⁣

I had learned God’s will. ⁣

And I guess I was going to let His will win. ⁣

Then one day, it clicked. ⁣

God didn’t want me to grudgingly follow this prompting, blaming Him for giving up what I really wanted. ⁣

He wanted me to do it willingly. ⁣

And so I started to pray.⁣

I prayed for the desire to WANT to quit my job. ⁣

(Kind of weird, I know.)⁣

But that desire came. Pretty quickly, too. ⁣

And suddenly I felt so much more at peace about my decision. ⁣

I wasn’t “giving in” to what God wanted for my life. ⁣

My will and God’s will had become one. ⁣

We wanted the same thing, even though I wasn’t sure about the WHY yet. ⁣

“Take ye from among you an offering unto the Lord: whosoever is of a willing heart, let him bring it”. (Exodus 35:5)⁣

God doesn’t want us to come dragging our feet and blaming everything on Him. On His promptings, on His commandments. ⁣

He wants us to come and sacrifice willingly. ⁣

And I’ve learned that if I truly come to the altar of prayer with a desire to have our wills become the same, He will always help my heart get to the right place. ⁣

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Praying to want to quit  first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.

My coworkers (who I loved absolutely dearly and who I know loved me too) were suddenly constantly joking around and saying things like:

“Oh I bet you are planning to quit soon! All the good teachers end up quitting as soon as they have a baby!”

I had many coworkers who were amazing mothers who worked full time as teachers, but still I could feel the judgment.

Everyone expected me, the new young mom, to now quit, because they had seen it plenty of times before.

And I did not want to prove them right.

But what they didn’t know is that I had already received super personal revelation that I needed to quit my job.

They didn’t realize how much I had wrestled with the Lord over the revelation, but couldn’t deny it.

And so here I was, about to resign from my job, with coworkers who were constantly joking about how I would probably quit soon.

Have I mentioned I don’t like being a stereotype?!

I honestly felt a little insecure and embarrassed about quitting.

I didn’t want to be labeled and judged.

As I prayed a lot about this though, my thoughts started to change.

The Lord quietly taught me that I can have confidence when I remember who I am and when I act with His power on His revelation.

I am a child of God.

He has a path for me.

And I can feel confidence and peace with that.

If other people want to judge me for following my personal revelation?

I can’t control that.

Jesus Himself experienced people doubting and trying to incorrectly label Him.

“Is not this Joseph’s son?” (Luke 4:22)

“If thou be the Son of God…” (Matthew 4:3)

But Jesus wasn’t swayed by others mislabeling Him or doubting His worth.

And I don’t need to be either.

When I remember that I am a Child of God, I gain confidence to act on my personal revelation, with true authority, no matter what others may think.

Happy Studying!

-Cali Black

The post Remembering who I am  first appeared on Come Follow Me Study with Cali Black.