Doing It All: Why We Don't Have to Have It All Figured Out

"Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it." - 1 Thessalonians 5:24 KJV

Have you ever looked around at your life and thought..."I'm failing." Not because you have quit. Not because you don't love the people God has entrusted to you. But because you care so deeply that you feel like you're falling short everywhere at once.

Lately, that's been me.

I am a wife, homeschooling mom, business owner, author, podcaster, friend, daughter...a woman who genuinely wants to honor God with every area of her life.

And somewhere along the way, I started believing that honoring God meant giving every single one of those roles one hundred percent of myself...all at the same time.

It sounds impossible because it is. Yet somehow, I still expected myself to do it.

A Conversation I Didn't Realize I Needed

This week, I was talking with my friend and teammate, Heather. I finally admitted something I had been carrying around.

"I feel like I'm failing."

Without hesitation, she responded, "You're not failing. We just have our hands full as moms."

I told her what has really been weighing on me: "I know...but I feel like we should have had a system already figured out."

Her response stopped me in my tracks. "We are still learning, and that's okay."

I don't know if she realized how much I needed to hear those words. I simply replied, "Thank you for always reminding me of that."

I have thought about that conversation almost every day since. Because if I am being honest, I think I have been holding myself to a standard that God never asked me to carry.

Somewhere Along the Way...

Somewhere along the way, I confused faithfulness with perfection. I started believing that if God called me to something...I should already know exactly how to do it. If He called me to homeschool, I should never question myself. If He called me to run MJD, I should already have every system perfected. If He called me to write books, coach authors, record podcasts, and encourage women, then surely I should have it all together by now.

But that's not what Scripture says. Scripture doesn't tell us to become perfect before we obey. It tells us to trust the One who called us.

Looking Back, God Has Always Been Faithful

There was a time in my life when I had absolutely no idea what God was doing. After leaving an abusive relationship, I packed up my belongings while he was at work and moved back in with my mom. For a year, I slept on her couch. Later, my mom built a room for me in her garage where I lived until I met my husband two years later.

Only weeks after leaving that relationship, I was academically suspended from college. Friends I trusted chose sides, and many of them chose his. If you had asked me then what my future looked like...I honestly couldn't have told you.

I certainly never imagined owning a publishing company. I never imagined writing books. I never imagined encouraging Christian women around the world. I definitely didn't have it all figured out.

But God did.

Looking back now, I can see that He wasn't waiting for me to have the perfect plan. He was simply asking me to keep taking the next faithful step.

Marilyn Jeanne Designs Was Built While Learning

People sometimes assume businesses are started because someone has everything figured out.

That wasn't my story.

MJD was born out of learning. After having a publishing experience that left me wishing someone had simply slowed down and explained things, I realized something incredible. God had been preparing people long before I recognized it.

I had been trained in print layout and design. Heather had experience helping authors with marketing. Cheyanne had been trained as an editor.

Three different gifts. One shared mission: To help Christian women steward the message God placed on their hearts.

Has everything been perfect? Nope!

But honestly...I am okay with admitting that. We are constantly improving our systems. We are refining how we serve our authors. We are learning better ways to communicate. We are growing. Because growth isn't evidence that we are failing. Growth is evidence that we are still moving.

Maybe You're Carrying This Too

One of the biggest things we have learned through talking with Christian women over the past several months is this: So many of us believe we have to earn the right to begin.

We think we need more confidence. More knowledge. More followers. More experience. More certainty.

But what if God isn't waiting for you to have it all figured out? What if He's simply asking you to trust Him with today's assignment?

Maybe you have been carrying a book idea for years because you are afraid it won't be good enough. Can I gently remind you of something? The women you admire are still learning too. I know I am.

Faithful Is He

One of my favorite verses has become 1 Thessalonians 5:24 KJV: "Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it."

Notice what is doesn't say. It doesn't say, "Faithful are you who figured everything out." It doesn't say, "Faithful are you who built the perfect business." Or..."Faithful are you who never made mistakes."

It points us back to God. He is faithful. He is the One who calls. He is the One who accomplishes His work.

Our responsibility isn't perfection. Our responsibility isn't doing it all alone. Our responsibility is obedience. There is so much freedom in that.

If You're Still Learning...

Friend...if you're still learning...you are NOT behind.

If you're still refining your systems...you are NOT failing.

If you're asking questions...you are NOT less qualified.

You are growing. And that's okay!

Actually...it is beautiful.

Because it means God is NOT finished with you yet. Neither is He finished with me. And for that, I am incredibly grateful.

You're Invited

If you have been longing for a place where you can grow alongside other Christian women who are learning, writing, building, and following God's calling one faithful step at a time, we would love to welcome you into our FREE Facebook community.

It is NOT a place where you have to pretend you've arrived. It is a place where we encourage one another, share practical publishing and business wisdom, celebrate victories, pray through challenges, and remind each other of the same truth Heather reminded me this week:

We're still learning...and that's okay.

If that sounds like the kind of community you have been looking for, we would be honored to have you join us!

Because none of us were ever meant to figure this journey out alone.