by Katie Dietz | Aug 15, 2024 | Waiting
Have you been wondering if you heard God right? You’ve taken every step and He’s opened every door but now you feel like you’re at a stand still. Perhaps the road ahead seems clouded and you’re wondering if you really heard God to begin with. The truth is, when we feel like nothing is happening we can rest assured that God is still working. We may not be able to see or understand how, but we can trust that He is.
What I am learning in my own walk with Jesus is there will be some seasons that are simply more private than others. It’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking that success is for the world to see but when we are walking with Jesus, success for a season can simply look like being faithful to our relationship with Him in private. Seeking Him wholeheartedly through His presence and word. Getting rid of our need for validation and coming back to the basics of building our lives upon His firm foundation. If you’re in a season like this, maybe God is wanting to heal you more fully and perhaps the fruit being produced is actually within your heart.
Have you ever wondered why God changed people’s names in the bible? When He gave a person a new name it was usually to establish a new identity. I love reading the story of Abram and Sarai. We know that even though God promised Sarai she would have a son in her old age, it didn’t stop her and Abram from taking matters into their own hands. Even though their decisions had consequences, God’s plan remained the same. He eventually reaffirms His promise with them and renamed them both to Abraham and Sarah–establishing a line in the sand between the old and new. When we don’t feel like God is answering our prayers or moving as fast as we had hoped it’s easy to begin doubting, questioning and allowing confusion to consume our minds. However, the deep work that God is doing in your life could be leading you to the new version of yourself; the version you need to be to obtain the promises and plans He has for your life.
Abraham and Sarah waited nearly 25 years for the fulfillment of their promise. If they had to wait, then we probably will too. What if instead of viewing this time of waiting as a negative thing, we decide to view it as a simple pause towards the promise? We surrender to this moment in time where we stop hustling, planning and trying to figure it all out. Instead we seek Jesus in the secret place, remembering that the deep work He is doing in our hearts and minds is preparing us for what’s ahead, in His timing.
I felt the call to write my first book back in 2020 and it is set to come out into the world in the spring of 2026. Which means from the time I felt God’s call to write my book to the time it is released, 6 years will have passed. I can tell you from walking this journey out myself, that God’s way to the promise is always better. Don’t get me wrong, it has been challenging. There have been moments I have tried to force or work my way to the fulfillment of this promise. My way was filled with stress, frustration and disappointment while God’s way is filled with peace, refinement, confirmation and grace.
Back in 2021, I was trying to navigate this new call to writing. I had just graduated dental hygiene school and now God was calling me to write a book? You can imagine the confusion I felt in that season. Lysa Terkeurst was speaking at an event near my hometown and I decided at the last minute to attend. When we entered the room where she was speaking, they had us all write down a question as she would be answering a few of them at some point that night. I wrote something like, “Hi. I’m 25 and feel like God is calling me to write a book. What advice do you have for me?” I wrote this question down thinking there was no way it would get drawn to answer. Well it did. As her host read the question out loud to the crowd I sank down a bit further in my chair. I heard Lysa then ask, “Who’s question is this?” I nervously raised my hand and she met me with a heart of compassion and words of advice I still have written on the inside of my bible today. She looked at me and said, “If there’s anything I could say to you as you begin this journey, it would be to not allow the vision of the dream to outrun the development of your character”. I can tell you I have revisited these words several times throughout my journey. I have often wanted to rush ahead of God’s timing but these words have helped remind me of who’s leading the way and to embrace the process. I can tell you now that the miracle God has done in my life wasn’t just found in the moment of seeing a promise fulfilled but in the process it took to get there.
I don’t know what God has spoken over your life or what promise you’re holding on to. If you feel like you’re in a waiting season, just know it’s not really a waiting season at all. It’s just a season where the work God is doing in your life is behind the scenes. It’s a season to pull back, reset and allow Him to refine and humble you in the way He desires. The development of your character and humility is far more important than getting to the place you want to be as fast as you can. You can trust these seasons are maturing you in a way that will only help you withstand the promise when it is fulfilled. These seasons help us all to make sure that no matter where God leads us or how He positions us, our identity is rooted in Him and Him alone.
Katie Dietz is a born and raised Oklahoma girl who has a heart for sharing the light & hope of Jesus. She is a part time dental hygienist and is currently writing her first book with Our Daily Bread. She is the creator of Back Porch Devotionals- a community focused on encouraging women on their walk with Jesus through daily devotionals & faith- filled truth. Her 1st book is set to come out in 2026! In the meantime you can keep up with her on Instagram @katie.dietz & @back.porch.devos
by Katie Dietz | Apr 23, 2024 | Family, Finances, Jealousy & Comparison, Life Advice, LO Library, Perspective, Vision, Wisdom
We pulled into the drive of our new home and I have to be honest in saying that it was a bit shocking. It’s cute but much smaller than the house we moved out of. The yard hasn’t been treated and weeds have overtaken any sign of the potential green grass hiding underneath. The kitchen was far from complete and as I walked around this 1930’s cottage style home, I could feel the anxiety rising within. There was no sink, dishwasher or countertops on the cabinets. I know I sound like a drama queen but as I took a walk through the house, I looked over at my husband and said, “what did we do?” He kindly responded, “It’ll be okay, babe. Just keep the bigger picture in mind” Through the tears and temporary frustration, I knew he was right.
When my husband accepted his new job and we decided to move, we were both feeling a deep stirring in our hearts to simplify our lives. When I say simplify I mean, finding a smaller house, getting rid of all car payments, less eating out and less commitments all together. At the beginning of this move I thought the desire came from our dream of buying some land and building a house again one day. We knew if we wanted this dream to become a reality sooner rather than later we needed to take a step back for a season to save. What I’ve realized a few months into this move is the desire to simplify our lives wasn’t just to prepare ourselves for our dream but for spiritual growth too. As we simplify our lives, it reveals what truly matters most in our hearts.
I don’t know about you but I’ve heard the phrase “less is more” many times throughout my life. However, I can’t say I’ve really ever applied it to my life or understood the impact it can have if we follow the philosophy. Throughout my younger twenties I believed creating a successful and fulfilling life meant I needed to have things to show for it like having a bigger house, nicer car and more money. The problem with that mindset is as trends faded, discontentment would eventually arise within my heart. This was a pattern I began to notice within myself from year to year.
What I’ve discovered is there is a difference between making a mistake versus a reoccurring pattern in our lives. Mistakes need grace and mercy. Patterns need healing. Patterns reveal there is something beneath the surface that we need to bring to Jesus. What I’ve grown to love about God is that when he exposes something, like a negative pattern, it’s not to make us feel bad or shameful about ourselves. Rather it’s to reveal our need for Him and to draw our hearts closer to His. God wants to heal what he reveals and sanctify our hearts in the process. Every day and season is a chance to be developed. Sometimes he wants to develop our character and other times He wants to heal the deep wounds and misconceptions within. For me, I learned my need to have the next best thing was rooted in feeling like I needed to prove myself. Can you relate?
The question I’ve been prompted to ask myself in this season is: “ Am I truly satisfied with Jesus alone or am I only satisfied when I have Jesus plus something else?” Make no mistake– I love having nice things too! I enjoy my hair extensions, getting my nails done and dreaming of the house and land we will one day raise a family on! We love traveling and trying out the newest restaurant in our area too. None of these things are bad. In fact, they are all part of what makes life fun! Yet, I’ve discovered that in the midst of pursuing all these things, we can still be checking the purity of our motives by coming before Jesus and asking him to search our hearts. Have we caught ourselves in a round of keeping up with the joneses? Are we pursuing these things to prove our worth to a world that will never meet our deepest need to be seen? Are we trying to one up that family member or friend who upset us by getting something we know they can’t have? Are we trying to find value in things that will one day disappear forever?
Matthew 6:19-21 says, “Don’t store up treasures here on Earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.”
Friend, I don’t know where you have found yourself today. Maybe you’re overwhelmed with keeping up with all the latest trends and your bank account is hurting because of it. Maybe you’ve over committed yourself to others that you can’t remember the last time you sat down and ate dinner with your family. Perhaps you feel spiritually dry and want to experience God’s presence in your life again. I see you. I was there just a few months ago.
What if the key to a more meaningful life is a simpler life? What if decluttering our lives is what leads us into a deeper relationship with Jesus and the people in our lives? Perhaps it’s in the season’s where we let go of the stuff we think we need most that we will discover the life God has in store is actually so much better than we could ask or think. Maybe it’s in the process of letting all striving cease that we will realize that we all have access to a simple life worth living. One that is full of joy, gratitude and contentment. A life that is deeply rooted in Jesus satisfying our every need to be known, loved and seen. We might even discover a deeper peace within our hearts that God has us right where He wants us and has provided us with all that we could ever need.
Katie Dietz is a born and raised Oklahoma girl who has a heart for sharing the light & hope of Jesus. She recently moved to NW Oklahoma with her husband Kory where they enjoy evening walks after work and finding new places to explore near OKC! She is a part time dental hygienist and is currently writing her first book with Our Daily Bread. She is the founder of Back Porch Devotionals- a community focused on encouraging women on their walk with Jesus through daily devotionals & faith- filled truth. Her 1st book is set to come out in 2026! In the meantime you can keep up with her on Instagram @katie.dietz & @back.porch.devos
by Katie Dietz | Jun 8, 2023 | Anxiety, Identity, LO Library
There I was, sitting in the middle of my one bedroom apartment completely overwhelmed. My heart was racing, the tears were flowing and I had never been in this place before. Not just physically but mentally and emotionally. I was 22 years old, living in a new city, starting dental hygiene school and about 4 hours away from my husband. On top of that, my grades were tumbling and things in my family were going abrupt. To say the least, my world felt like it was crashing all around me.
If you would have asked me back then if I was a Christian, I would have said yes. Yet, my life didn’t reflect it too much. I was full of fear and anxiety. My mind was clouded by the chaos around me. I was looking to the world to fill me up. I was lonely, confused and felt hopeless for the future. My life and actions didn’t reflect the love or joy we have access to through Christ in any way.
A little back story, I was not raised in church. In fact, I didn’t own a bible of my own until college. So in the midst of my lowest season, I didn’t have a strong foundation to stand on. I didn’t know where to look for peace and comfort. The only way I knew how to handle hard things was in my own strength. I found myself so weighed down that I felt stuck, isolated and alone. Have you been there?
My hurt led to resentment which led to bitterness.
My confusion led to doubt which led to unbelief.
My loneliness led to isolation which led to crippling anxiety.
As I was sitting there on the floor, I was trying to figure out how to carry the weight of all that was being thrown my way. Wondering how what was supposed to be a season filled with joy was one of great trial. I was in what “looked” like a great season but I was riddled by fear, doubt and anxiety on the inside. No matter how hard I tried to figure it out and find a solution to these things on my own, I couldn’t. I felt like a ton of bricks were laying on top of me with no one to help pull me out from underneath the rubble.
I can vividly remember the enemy whispering lies like: No one likes you. You are worthless. You have no value for the world. You’re a failure. The one that seemed to hurt the most was..” Who you are and what you have will never be good enough.” I believed this one the most. I believed I would never be good enough for God. I believed I had to clean myself up before coming to Him.
Although the lies were loud, Jesus pursued me in my messiest season. I remember sitting in my living room that night having these thoughts flood my mind through the despair: “Have you talked to God about it?” “Have you given Jesus a chance?” Somehow in that moment I mustered up enough strength and courage to ask, “Jesus, are you there?” I laugh when I reflect on this because I remember saying, “Hi, my name is Katie.” As if He didn’t already know. But the truth is, all I knew of Him was what I had heard through other people. I had heard He was like a friend and counsellor. Yet, I didn’t have a relationship with Him. I didn’t know Him as my Lord and Savior. I didn’t know that through Him I had access to the Holy Spirit. Who is the giver of joy, peace & comfort. I didn’t know through Jesus I would be reconciled back to God, our Father! I had no idea that the simple decision to say “Yes” to Jesus would grant me eternal life beyond this one. I had no idea that everything I ever needed and desired could be found through a relationship with Jesus.
As I look back, perhaps the greatest question I ever asked was, “Jesus, are you there?” When we ask God to reveal Himself to us, He will. He wants to show us the power of His presence in our life. He wants to meet us in our weakness to show Himself strong. He wants us to hand over the little we have to give and allow Him to multiply it.
Whatever you’re seeking in this world, you’re going to find it. But just like I was, you might be searching for all the right things in all the wrong places. Where are you searching for your answers? Where are you seeking joy & peace? Where are you trying to find your sense of purpose?
Jesus is the answer to all those things. He is enough. What you have to give Him is enough. But are you willing to wave your white flag and give Him your full surrender? Are you willing to say, “God not my will but yours be done.” Are you willing to be shaped and molded into who He’s called you to be? Are you willing to believe the little you have can actually be used by God in a big way?
One of my favorite stories in the bible is when God uses the 5 loaves and 2 fish to feed 5,000 men. Matthew 14: 13-21 says,
“Now when Jesus heard this, he withdrew from there in a boat to a desolate place by himself. But when the crowds heard it, they followed him on foot from the towns. When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them and healed their sickness. Now when it was evening, the disciples came to him and said, ‘This is a desolate place, and the day is now over; send the crowds away to go into the villages and buy food for themselves.’ But Jesus said, ‘They need not go away; you give them something to eat.’ They said to him, ‘We have only five loaves here and two fish.’ And he said, ‘Bring them here to me.’ Then he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass, and taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven and said a blessing. Then he broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. And they all ate and were satisfied. And they took up twelve baskets full of the broken pieces left over. And those who ate were about five thousand men, besides women and children.”
The disciples looked at what they needed and thought what they had to give wasn’t enough. The truth is, in their hands it wasn’t enough. But Jesus replied to them and said, “Bring them here to me.” He asked them to hand over what they had to him. He was asking them to surrender and believe that a miracle could be done through this exchange.
It’s in the simple exchange of handing over the little we have to Jesus where we will see God’s mighty hand in our lives.
When I was in one of my lowest seasons, all I had to give Him was a simple, ”yes.” Through that simple response, He changed me. He redeemed me and revealed himself to me in a way I never thought possible.
Friend, I don’t know what you’re walking through today. Are you in a season of feeling as though who you are and what you have isn’t enough? Have you been striving to figure out the solution on you’re own? Are you doubting His presence in your life?
Perhaps He’s saying to you.. My child, pick up every piece of doubt, fear, confusion and little you have to give & “Bring them here to me.”
When we are desperate to see God move in our lives, it is often in the process of releasing our grip and handing it back over where we will experience breakthrough.
Sometimes all it takes is humbling ourselves, surrendering our control and choosing to invite Him into our situation by handing over all we have and taking a deep breath of courage. Then asking, “Jesus are you there?”
Love,
Katie Dietz
Jesus lover, Wife & Writer
Katie Dietz is a wife & writer on a mission to drawing women closer to heart of Jesus! She loves sunny days & being outside any chance she gets. She has a passion for sharing God’s truth through speaking and writing. Rather, it’s over long conversations in a coffee shop or encouraging posts on Instagram. Katie desires nothing more than for others to know they are loved and created for a purpose. She hopes through the words she writes & words she speaks, you are challenged and inspired to step into a deeper, more intimate relationship with Jesus! You can find her on Instagram @katie.dietz
