Say Yes!

By Guest Blogger: Jamie Williamson

During the summer of 2014 I found myself lonely and depleted as a stay at home wife and mother of 2 girls under 4 years old. All I wanted was to feel like I was more than THIS. I went to Vision Cast that summer, as I have many times before, and our topic of that weekend was “Why Not Me?”. I never thought of myself as a leader or someone who had much left to give after all the things I did for my family and home. I kept feeling a nudge from God to serve, but I never knew where I fit in at AC3. Then God brought Cayce into my life. She was someone looking for a community and support and the Spirit prompted me to talk to her. We spent many hours walking and talking to each other. I mostly listened because I knew she needed a friend.  But as it turns out, I needed her friendship more then she would ever know. That experience gave me the courage to tell God that I’m ready for what He has for me. 

After the Pause that summer, my oldest daughter started school at Prepare The Way. Shortly after the school season started, I got a private message on Facebook from someone I didn’t know, but was friends with her because she was another preschool mommy. She asked to hang out with me so we went for a walk the next preschool day to get to know each other. I met with her on many divine appointments in person and in message to talk about what was on her heart. I didn’t know what was happening at the time, but soon I found myself in the front row seat of Alicia Christiansen falling in love with her Savior. It was the most amazing experience and I am so thankful for every moment of that. 

With those two friendships I had made that year, God gave me a thirst to love my church community greater. I knew loneliness. I knew feeling like an outsider. I knew the struggle of life as a stay at home mom and wife. I began really seeing faces that needed all the things I also needed. I wanted to form a community for women like me, who struggled, sometimes daily, with the hardships of serving a family. I wanted those women to know that God sees all they give every day, and it’s not for nothing. Motherhood is challenging, but if we can embrace this job and lean into it, imagine the legacy we can create?  Maybe we can really change our community? I prayed over it a lot summer of 2015 and God prompted me to come along side Jaime Dodds and Moms as Mentors was formed. I could have never gotten this off the ground without God and without Jaime.

More times than I can count the enemy has tried to make me feel like I have nothing to offer other women.  That I’m not qualified to encourage these moms, because I struggle so much myself as a wife and mother, but God keeps reminding me that I am more qualified BECAUSE I struggle. Again and again God whispers to me to fear not, because if God has plans for something to happen, it’s going to happen! Doesn’t He always promise to be with you where ever you are? I may have one or two women that need this group and they will be profoundly changed from it. I might crash and burn and fail miserably, but I can say with confidence that God will be with me. Will you have the courage to say YES through the fear and doubt? It’s an unforgettable experience when you say yes and it has the power to change your life.