Coffee Shop Talk: Priorities, Spiritual Valleys, and Dreams

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[box_light]Ed. note: This is B. She’s our weekly Q&A writer and will be answering questions from a female perspective (naturally). You can find her subsection under “Faith.” Do you have a question or comment? Send it to us on Facebook, Twitter, via email, or in the comments, and we’ll do our best to have her answer it in future weeks.[/box_light]

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What are the priorities of a twenty-something Christian woman?

Oh my, oh my. This one stumped me a little bit.

Every individual is different and every twenty-something woman is going to be at different walks in their earthly and spiritual life. Are they actively seeking God’s will? Are they stagnant in their walk? These are two HUGE factors when seeing where priorities lie. So, with that being said, I choose to answer this question based on the women that are in my own life and what I see to be the recurring priorities among us all.

We will be a bit selfish at this stage in the game. Women of this age generally are working a full time job, saving their money for future plans whether that be for travel or a home or car. We make time with our friends and fellowshipping with other women a priority. The women we spend time with may be from our work place, home church, or friends we’ve had forever. We know we need to vent.

Women need other women to listen and give affirming nods that, “Yes, it is truly terrible no one acknowledged ______ about you!” We are working our way through this life as independent, God fearing women and praying we don’t fall on our face in front of you good looking men. We generally make our friends, our job, and our family priorities.

If we are in a relationship then yes, that most likely will take the majority of our time. This is the stage of the game when dating becomes serious and we are NOT looking at just dating the next guy after the next. We are ready for commitment and “The One.” We will make a relationship a priority, but not dating. Casual dating is for chumps.

Twenty-something year old women are in the stage of “preparation.” We are allowing God to shape us and mold us into the women He would desire… to be the women He has designed us to be for our specific calling. He is preparing our hearts and minds for the day we become a wife, a mother. These years of our lives are truly spent waiting on the Lord and preparing for what He has next.

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How do you deal with “the valleys” of life?

Crying ….a lot. No, I’m not saying I have melt downs in public and fall to my knees weeping; but after a long day if you were to see me in my car or in my room, you’re guaranteed water works.

I try and pray and worship my way through it. God has blessed me beyond measure and His joy is something that can’t be stolen from me, even when happiness fades. I may be sorrowful, frustrated or anxious, but I will always have joy in the Lord. I try to either drive in silence or put on worship music and sing [even when I don't feel like it because God is worthy of worship despite my emotions.] “The valleys” always seem bigger when I’m driving and have time to contemplate them.

Prayer. It helps to pray while I drive. Out loud. I let out all of my fears and doubts and hang ups while always making sure to speak the Truth of the Word and God’s promises and faithfulness. And then that’s when I cry… a lot. I store things up too long inside of my mind, fighting back every tear so that when I finally open the gates the floods come. One solid good cry–––or three or four–––is so helpful.

Friends. The community of believers and brothers and sisters God has put around me helps me so much. Whether they just sit and allow me to ramble on at them (while they nod to show they’re following) or if they are challenging me to press into God more; they’ve got my back. They remind me of the God I love and serve and just how BIG He is and how much He loves me. The true brother/sisterhood I have is key to how God keeps me from losing my mind and crumbling in on myself when life just sucks.

Reflect. Even when I’d rather be allowing my mind to shut off and my emotions to numb out everything around me, which I will be honest, and say both of those things happen but God is gracious; I make myself reflect on all the times before. I look and see all the moments and other “valleys” God has already pulled me through. Is He not that same God today as He was then? YES! That unchanging truth is my sanity when I feel like I’m falling apart.

When the “valleys” come, the best thing to do is to focus my eyes on The One who saved me and saves me each and every day from the “valleys” that try and swallow me whole.

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Where do you see yourself in five years?

In five years I will be twenty-eight years old. Mehhhhh. Sorry… I had a small midlife crisis just thinking about that! Anyway, I truly do not know where I will be in five years. I will be wherever God has placed me and called me, but for the sake of this article, I’ll give you my dream answer.

I would see myself married to the man God has brought me to. Furthering The Kingdom side by side through youth ministry, missions, small groups, and community outreach. Reaching the sick and lost for Jesus. Grabbing ahold of high schoolers’ lives and seeing how the Gospel and Jesus transforms them. Taking those changed students and then going and reaching the community. I see myself with one child born, possibly another on the way. [I'm praying for boy-girl-boy, so if you could all pray for that too I'd appreciate it.] I would be planning future mission trips for the high school students (possibly even adults) and connecting with missionaries around the world with us to partner with as a youth group.

In five years, I’ll still most likely be in school. Slowly, but surely, getting my degree in Biblical Studies and perhaps even looking into a Master’s program (GASP!). Along with school, youth ministry, missions, and married life, the big dream I pray to see come to fruition is the prayer room. God laid this vision on my heart almost two years ago. I believe with all the I am it will happen and this will be a HUGE part of my ministry. He has shown me details of the room and what it looks like and how it will run. He has even given me the name for it too!

I will open a prayer room that will be available 24 hours, everyday. My heart’s passion is prayer and fellowship. I long for the days to go into the prayer room and put on a pot of coffee or cook a meal and share it with whoever may be there. Hearing their story. Talking about how their heart breaks. Crying with those who mourn and rejoicing with those full of joy. Praying over people for all kinds of different needs. AHHH!!! My heart races as I type all of this out. To have a place where the youth can come and seek the Lord and I can pray with them (and for them). A quiet place for adults to step away from the demands of their days and find peace in the Lord. I pray that in five years this will come to fruition.

I have big dreams for myself and my future. I know God has even bigger dreams for me. In five years, I see myself living out these dreams and grabbing the vision for the new dreams God will lay ahead of me.

…

until our next chat,
B.

[box_success]Send us your questions! You can do so via Facebook, Twitter, via email, or in the comments, and we’ll do our best to have her answer it in future weeks.[/box_success]

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