“I’m a cow in the chute”
I said this to a client (and dear friend/brother in Christ) back in November while we were working on the COOLEST project I had gotten to do in a while.
We were on site at one of his jobs, collaborating with another incredible entrepreneurial couple and their kids, recording content to promote my client’s newest “done with you” offer…
And he asked me “so do you enjoy doing this?”
I had to pause, because his question actually unlocked an deep spiritual realization.
See, my husband and I had “given our business over to God” several months ago.
We prayed and asked God to take our business in the direction HE wanted to take it, and to help us be flexible, curious, and obedient along the way.
So when God kept putting clients who needed help with social media + direct outreach marketing & sales in front of my face…
And He kept putting opportunities to hand over the operations + administration into TLCs hands…
I’ll admit, I was slower to get on board than I’d hoped.
I mean, I had LITERALLY prayed for it, so when God started opening door after door to me to try to move me into the space where I fully committed to help clients in this way…
You’d THINK I would have been like “Okay God YES let’s goooo”
But the reality is, I HESITATED.
Honestly, it’s a pattern I see with most driven, high-achieving clients-
They are SO gifted in an area, that it feels too “easy” to go all in and focus in that area…because they’ve been taught it’s supposed to feel “tough”.
I had written a post a few days prior to that experience, where I talked about how the growth journey is ALL uphill, and expecting it to be easy is a foolhardy approach…
So when I say it feels “too easy”, I mean it feels like walking up a rocky 2% incline hill, when you’ve been born with a naturally long stride, good balance, ankles that don’t roll, and have trained on 5% inclines for your whole life.
You’ve WORKED to get strong AND you’ve got natural ability that makes that particular path easier to climb than for most others.
Personally, Holy Spirit had shown me over the last several months how God has given me an incredible set of gifts (He is so good!)
- I’m a gifted writer, speaker and storyteller
- I’m highly skilled at interviewing people and asking questions to identify root causes and connections
- I’ve spent 5-10 hours per week for the last 15 years learning social media
- I’m super social and don’t know what the word “stranger” means
- I only need about 5 minutes of talking to someone about their vision before I can “see” how we can create a project that glorifies God, from start to finish (it literally shows up as a flowchart in my mind), and
- I’m gifted at leadership- If I’ve been given clear authority, I will design an incredible plan and effectively communicate said plan to everyone involved
Holy Spirit has ALSO shown me where I am NOT gifted-
- I’m not as compassionate and tenderhearted as some - I can totally hold space for you to feel your feelings, AND I’d much rather help you understand the cause of your emotions and use that to help solve your problems, rather than simply talk about how much they suck (surprising, AND makes total sense how I could be an ICU nurse and not quit after 2 months!)
- I struggle with follow through if I don’t stay disciplined and work from a list of tasks (my brain doesn’t operate well with multiple tabs open)
- I’m a “resource optimist” - I think things will take less time, money, strength, and patience than they usually do
And the BIGGEST area where I’m NOT gifted?
It’s actually an area that I’m “pretty good” at- which, IMHO, is the biggest “off the path” temptation that leads me astray-
MANAGEMENT.
I’ve been conditioned by my professional and business experiences to handle all the overseeing AND the implementation… and NOT trust others enough to involve them in the mission.
So while I LIKE building websites and doing tech, I’ve got to be really careful with what I do vs what I delegate, because I can get easily overwhelmed trying to do things outside of what God is calling me to do.
So by now you might be thinking, “Okay Lee, what on EARTH does this have to do with cows?”
Well, God has been showing me how the only way forward out of the discomfort of me figuring out what the heck I’m here to do with my life is to allow him to move me into the “squeeze chute”
Now, before anyone gets offended - let me tell you a bit about cattle chutes
(I may be a city girl, but don’t miss me- I live in Ohio surrounded by farms and have some serious country roots)
Humane cattle chutes are designed in a way that allows for the farmer to TRANSPORT the cow from one area to another - so the cow can do its “job” more effectively (breeding, providing milk, etc).
The chutes:
- allow the cow to have a clear visual of what’s coming up ahead and see their surroundings so they don’t feel trapped
- don’t put excess pressure on the cow while also keeping them in place
- reduce noise and excess stimulation
- protect the farmer while he is in contact with the cow
- keep the cow from hurting itself during the process, and
- allow for quick and safe release of the animal when done
So when I say God’s been nudging me (sometimes with a gentle voice, and sometimes with a bit of a firm nudge) into the chute…
I mean that He has been preparing me to get MOVED to a place where I will fully operate in my gifts, by directing me onto a very narrow path that doesn’t really allow me to back out, or escape off to another route.
He was transporting me to a place where I will be able to “pour out” what I’ve been creating for the last several years, A place where I would be able to help my brothers and sisters in Christ in spreading their ministries and their messages out to the world, using their unique set of spiritual gifts.
(And TLC is here to provide and support that mission in a way that allows him to use HIS unique gifts- but that’s a message for a different day)
And this is exactly why we describe our agency, Regulated Roots, as a business GROWTH agency -
Because every one of our clients wants to grow into the gifting that God has placed on their life.
They want to learn how to walk the narrow, easier path (which, again, is WAY harder than it looks)
And they want to get into the place where they’re not backing down, bailing out, or giving up.
Instead, they are obeying God’s call and moving forward, pressing in, and pouring out for the benefit of others.
They’re committed to being “cows” too - and open to the gentle encouragement and the occasional firm nudge to keep moving in the direction that they KNOW is right for them.
So if you’re ready to “move into the chute” and let God transport you onto the path where you can use the gifts He gave you-
We’re here to guide you using OUR gifts.
We will team with you to create a personalized plan that will having you operating in your gifts + walking your aligned path…
And relieving all that pressure you’ve been feeling from not knowing where you’re truly designed to pour out so that you AND others may benefit, by the grace of God.
When you’re ready to be who God called you to be, where & how He called you to do it-
We’re ready to help you move forward. ❤
You can book an alignment call with us here to see how we can help you grow in your God given gifts here:
https://calendly.com/regulatedroots/alignmentcall
Always Rooting For You,
TLC & Dr. Lee
www.regulatedroots.com
