Today’s guest blogger is a favorite of mine. I stumbled upon Carmen and her blog Life Blessons after she wrote an article for Relevant Magazine. I hope you enjoy her contribution to the Inspiration Report.

Thank you so much to Jennifer for inviting me to guest post on Beliefnet. She asked me to share something that would be inspiring for this new year of ours, and I could think of nothing more inspiring than one of the milestones in my life that has most rooted me in my faith. It was during this experience that God brought to life for me, firsthand, one of the Bible’s greatest lessons: that he can be trusted.

I had been chaperoning a youth group trip and the band had just taken the stage. The music was loud and I sang along wholeheartedly. Until the lyrics of the song, which I knew by heart, reached this point: “Where you lead me, I will follow…. Even if I walk alone, Lord, this I choose to do.” Suddenly, I stopped as the weight of those words, “Even if I walk alone,” hit me full force for the first time. They make for a great song, but when it comes to real life, those are hard words to swallow.

I started praying vehemently, God, I love you, but please don’t make me go anywhere by myself. Please don’t make me have to do it alone. Please don’t…

Six months later, I found myself in the very spot I’d prayed against: Making a decision whether to move to a new city where I knew virtually no one. I stood at the cusp, cardboard boxes on one side, comfort and predictability on the other. The decision to go rested on one simple notion: Could I trust God and where He was calling me, despite all my fears?

Long story short, I decided to move. I recognized that by not moving, I would be turning my back on where God was calling me to go, and I couldn’t bear that. Even though I had no idea how this would all work out, I decided I had to take that chance and trust Him.

I remember those first days in that new town. God quickly began showing me the frivolity of most of my fears. Before I knew it, friendships blossomed all around me. I found an inspiring church to call home, outlets for volunteering and things to do on the weekend. It was obvious that my greatest arguments against going had been for nothing.
God had showed me clearly that when we step out in faith, he will bridge the gap and show us that we can trust Him, even when we don’t know exactly what that looks like.
Even now, four years after I first wrestled though this decision, I carry the reminders of that experience with me, for the times when those pesky questions persist: Can I really trust Him to deliver me this time? How is this going to work?

In those inevitable moments, I look back on this milestone and remember that God is at work and is waiting for me to step forward in faith and trust.

Carmen writes the blog Life Blessons, where she shares much more about her journey learning to live out her faith and become the woman God created her to be. Visit her blog to read more!