i’ve really been struggling lately. i have had this battle within my mind…i cannot make it stop no matter what. i will lay in bed for hours before finally falling asleep because it is always on my mind. i’ve prayed about it, talked with my husband about it and i’ve read numerous blogs about it. how can i make my photography business my ministry? it has been on my heart for so long and i just kept pushing it aside, like it was nothing.

i’ve re-written this blog post seven different times. i can never get the words out the right way. i am not a writer…keep that in mind. i passed my english class with barely a B-. i struggle with his aspect of photography…blogging! but apparently that is common in this industry.

my struggles have become my husband’s struggles. i talk about my business constantly. he helps me make important business decisions, so i feel he should be in on the mental struggle that goes along with it!

i desire for everything i do to be glorifying to God. i became a christian at the ripe age of 8. i was born and raised a southern baptist {amen}. i was raised to do things that glorified God and His kingdom. that is easier said than done. especially when running a business. i’ve struggled lately with the idea of making my business, my ministry. i just didn’t know how! i wanted it so badly…i just did not know where to begin.

a while ago, i was sitting next to my husband on our church pew waiting for the morning worship service to start. i didn’t see our pastor anywhere and figured we would just have a guest speaker. while we were waiting, i was talking to my husband about {what else….} my business. i was telling him my goals and a few things that had happened during the week that i needed to really think on and reconsider. i started telling him about this blog post i read about this photographer {nancy ray, of nancy ray photography} that i just LOVE. she too, wanted her business to be her ministry. she, like me, believes that if you follow Jesus it should not just be in your personal life but in your professional life as well. you should spend your life pursuing Jesus and loving Him with everything. she talks about the ‘call to ministry’ that happens in every youth group, youth trip, etc. how she would sit there, just thinking, why would i be called to serve to ministry, isn’t that something you’re supposed to do everyday? and she is so right. there are people who are chosen to be spiritual leaders and i believe God gives them a tug at their heart until they answer that call and go about spreading the love and word of Jesus Christ. everyone who is a follower of Christ should spread His word, but not everyone is a ‘leader’ or a ‘minister’. some of us share God and his love by glorifying Him in other ways. that was just something that resonated with me….Glorifying Him. that is my goal. i want to glorify Him in all that i do! raising my son, running my business, loving my husband and serving at our church in anyway that He calls me to.

our church service started and of course, the guest speaker got up and opened his Bible. we all turned to the scripture he referenced and little did I know, God would be directly speaking to me that Sunday. the sermon was about glorifying God in all that you do, giving it your all even when you are just a small piece of the puzzle. i was floored. i was glued to every word that departed the speaker’s lips. the thought that I had been struggling with for so many months, was right there in front of me. as soon as the service was over, i looked directly at my husband and said, “i REALLY needed to hear that!”. we talked about it on the way home and i have never felt more at peace.

i was ridiculed and made fun of for ‘quitting’ the nursing profession {please refer to my bio/passion story if you’re confused}… everyone thought that me saying, “God does NOT want me to be a nurse, he made that very clear”, was a cop-out. they all thought that was my way of saying that i didn’t want to work full time. i love being a stay at home mom. but i have never felt more at peace with a decision than to not pursue a nursing career after my college graduation. i have felt called to pursue photography and to a certain market, for a long time.

i have to throw in my favorite part of nancy ray’s blog post… she states, “I think in those moments when I was young, God was preparing me for this, now. His hand and calling was on my life even at a young age. God gave me this business, and He put in me everything I need to fulfill my calling for His fame.” his fame…that is why we are called to do what we do as Christians! to bring people to Christ. through my photography, i am not actively seeking out lost souls. i don’t expect everyone i meet for a job to end our meeting a changed person…but i may be the person that plants that seed for someone else to water.

nancy ray also talks about how she simply manages her business. it is not hers, but God’s and he is simply allowing her to manage it! i cannot begin to thank nancy enough for her encouraging and enlightening post. it was exactly what i needed to read when i came across it. she is such an inspiration and i too, hope to glorify God in all that i do!!!!

 

“And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus,
giving thanks to God the Father through him.”
Colossians 3:17 

 

if you would like to ready nancy’s post HERE is the link to it!

-lauren