I Pulled Back. Here's What I Found.

In the fall of last year, I felt called to pull back. Not from God, not from music, not from ministry, but from this community specifically. I thought if I let go of the things adding to my plate, some of the overwhelm would lift and the fulfillment would come back.

What I actually found was lifelessness.

I want to share what happened in that season, and why it led to something new: Called to Music.

The desert wasn't the destination

I've built a lot over the years, songwriting, courses, community, teaching, retreats. I'm proud of all of it. But somewhere along the way, I found myself in a pruning season that didn't feel like growth, it felt like depression, sadness and confusion. I kept asking God, if I followed you into this, where's the good part?

The answer wasn't a strategy or a plan. It was obedience. Pruning isn't meant to harm the plant, it's meant to make it stronger, even when it looks wimpy right after the cut.

The same voice that started this show

Back in 2020, I woke up at 4am with a single word in my spirit: start. I didn't know what that meant until it became clear, start the podcast. That same obedience, not a strategy, is what's carrying me into this next season.

When I finally sent an email being honest about where I was at, the response blew me away. Not because of the numbers, but because of what people shared. So many of you said the same thing back to me: I don't know what to do, there's too many things I feel called to, and I'm exhausted trying to force myself into just one.

Calling is one road with many lanes

That's the phrase that came out of all of it, and it's become the whole heart behind this relaunch. The internet tells us to niche down, pick one thing, do it over and over. But a road isn't one lane. Drive through Atlanta and a road can be sixteen lanes wide. In a kingdom mindset, why would our calling be any narrower than that?

For years I thought I'd never get anywhere because I did too many things, produced music, led worship, built courses, hosted retreats. But what if all the things is the thing? What if we're free to move between lanes as we're led, without treating each one like a cage?

What this means going forward

This is why the show and the community are now called Called to Music, and why the Facebook group has the same new name. Not just for songwriters, not just for worship leaders or producers, but for anyone who feels God's put a passion for music in them, in whatever combination of lanes that shows up.

My encouragement this week: write down everything you love and feel called to do. Don't let the whole list overwhelm you into doing none of it. Just pick the lane you feel most drawn to right now, and go.

Faithfulness doesn't require having it all figured out. It just requires showing up.

Watch the full episode:
https://youtu.be/FJ8uyafcGwc

Want to keep the conversation going? Join the Called to Music community on Facebook.