Stepping Out On Faith
by Marcia Davis Taylor

Stepping out on faith, or should I say taking a huge leap of faith, has blessed my heart, my soul and my life! Relocating our family from the Metro Washington, DC area to rural Orangeburg, South Carolina has been an extraordinary experience! I have no doubt that some of our family and friends think we have taken a great risk by moving to a small, rural town. I am also sure that some of them think we have had some sort of mental lapse! I have run into friends and former classmates who, upon learning of our move back to South Carolina, have responded, “Why did you come back here?!”

To answer their question and the countless others, let me share with you what I wrote in an email message to our friends as we were making our final preparations for the move:

“We [finally] decided that we had to make a choice between burning ourselves out mentally, physically and financially to afford staying in Montgomery County, and making a change to [a place] where the cost of living is MUCH less and we can still have the things we want for our family, especially for the boys.”

Now you know why we moved, but how did we really get here? We arrived at this destination, literally and figuratively, through prayer, obedience to God’s leading, and faith in God’s ability to work things out in a way that is most beneficial to us. We couldn’t have done this without acknowledging and accepting the truth that God lives within us. The voice of God in us is intuition at work. The voice of God in us is that “gut feeling” that leads us to a particular decision. I must admit that I haven’t always listened to my inner voice, but this time I did. As a result of my obedience, I have already experienced a change in my personal health and in my life in general.

• Lower blood pressure
• Weight reduction
• More and better sleep
• Less stress
• More time outdoors with lots of fresh air

It would be less than honest of me if I said that I did this without some guilt and grief, especially where our children (3 boys) are concerned. It was an unhappy time for them to leave their friends and their schools. But they are slowly and surely adjusting and settling in, and only good things are on the road ahead.

As for my business, it is “portable” and I can take it with me anywhere!! Starting over in a different part of the country is a scary prospect. But at the same time, it is the perfect time to take stock. What do I want from my business? What do I want to achieve? Where do I want my business to take me? I am completely open to the possibilities!

My leap of faith has left me feeling healthy and whole, waiting with great anticipation and faith for what is yet to come. I already know that it will be fabulous!

"A woman is like a tea bag -- you don't know how strong she is until you put her in hot water." Author unknown.

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Marcia Davis Taylor is a South Carolina-based human development consultant, specializing in addressing the needs of women. She is a married mom of three, and has been a working mom for 16 years.  Her experiences in the field of maternal and child health, and as an independent consultant for Warm Spirit, a health and wellness company, have given Marcia a unique perspective on helping women achieve optimal levels of spiritual, mental and physical health.