I Stepped Out of the Boat | A WLI Share Your Story Blog

I was sitting in Sunday service when a video announcement for the Woodside Leadership Institute began to play. I’ll be honest—I tuned it out for the most part. I mean, surely it wasn’t for me. I was a thirty-something, stay-at-home mom with no college degree and little-to-no ministry experience as an adult. Besides, I was already leading a Bible study. God wouldn’t ask more of me… my time to do things like that had passed…right?  

But then, a few of my friends started texting me from their various seats around the worship center, saying that I should apply. They had recently been encouraging me to lean into my gift of teaching, and thought I should learn what the Institute is all about.  

I laughed as I read their texts, but I didn’t think much more about it. As the days went by, I couldn’t stop thinking about that video announcement or the texts from my friends. I reluctantly went to the Woodside website and searched for more information about what the Institute offered. The more I read, the more interested I became. But still, I doubted it was something I could do. I doubted I had the time and energy to give, that I would be accepted, and that God even wanted me to apply to begin with.  

I decided to pray about it and seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit. After prayer, lots of discussion with my husband, an application, and an interview, I became a new women’s ministry resident with the Woodside Leadership Institute.  

The first few months of my residency were spent learning the behind-the-scenes work of women’s ministry. I also learned the Journey Pathway, which is a tool I use with my mentor to evaluate struggles and tackle them from a biblical perspective. Little did I know that a shift was coming.  

I went into the Institute to sharpen my teaching skills, but God was preparing me for something more. An urgent need was revealed within my ministry, and I was asked to fill it. This was something that felt big, scary, and uncertain. A storm began to brew within my heart. Just as Peter was called to step out of the boat onto the raging sea, God was calling me out of the boat of my comfort and into the raging unknown. 

God was asking me if I would trust Him, or if I would allow fear and doubt to drown me. That question is one I’ve had to answer daily and talk about often with my mentor. Ultimately, I did lean in to where the Lord was leading, and I adjusted my goal from being a better Bible teacher to being a better leader. 

Since I became a resident, Psalm 23 has been brought up many times at the Institute. I’ve heard the Psalm many times throughout my life, but never gave it much thought beyond its poetic beauty. But, as the weeks have gone by, I’ve begun to dig deeper into the passage, beyond surface level. 

Verse 5 has been on my mind as year one of my residency draws to a close. The first part reads, “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies….” At first glance, I asked myself, “Who are my enemies?” But then, the Holy Spirit prompted me to ask instead: “What are my enemies?” The answer to this is simple, yet profound: my enemies are any mindset that speaks contrary to the word of God. For me, that looks like fear, doubt, and disobedience. My enemy is the fear that God won’t protect me as I step out of the boat. It’s the doubt that whispers on the wind that God isn’t going to finish the good work He has begun. It’s the desire to go my own way when the Lord is drawing me His way.  

Verse 5 says that God has prepared a table for me in the presence of these enemies. He has prepared a place of rest and provision—I only need to sit to partake. To sit is to be surrendered to His will, and that’s what He’s asking me to do…just surrender, trust, and obey. That’s the choice I have to make every day, and my success in the Woodside Leadership Institute rests on it. The Lord isn’t asking me to be the best Bible teacher, the best leader, or even the best student. He’s asking me to be an obedient Bible teacher, an obedient leader, and an obedient student. Obedience to His will allows Him to instill the skills I need to grow into the leader God’s calling me to be.   

In the months since my shift toward obedience, the Lord has continued to grow me through the Leadership Institute. He has used the program in such a way that I have no doubt it was orchestrated by the Holy Spirit. Every book assignment and class session has exactly what I needed, right when I needed it. With each challenge, the Lord has shown me that He is trustworthy and good. Each experience has prepared me to be the leader that my ministry needs and has helped me serve the women of my campus well.  

I look forward to my second year as a resident. I know the lessons that were sewn in my heart will grow into something even more beautiful than they already are. A second-year residency will bring its own set of challenges and triumphs, and I’m eager to see how the Lord uses the next group of interns and residents to accomplish His will.