Have you ever found yourself in a beautiful place, and you just looked around and thought, “Wow. How did I get here?”

In one of those dreamy moments, I found myself sprawled on a beach chair in March of 2017. I was perched next to the pool, which was next to the ocean, which was just a fabulous layout if you ask me—I simply wasn’t having it with the gusting winds or salty air that morning, so the pool it was. Who needs the majestic ocean when there’s a man-made pit of water 20 yards inland?

It was my senior spring break—the trip of trips and week of weeks. Everyone had waited for it all winter, and, really, all of high school. A group of my friends and our families congregated in Sanibel Island, Florida, home to the world’s most shell-filled beaches and the most charming seaside town.

After spending the last few months in arctic temperatures and daydreaming of the moments when I could sit outside without freezing to death, I seized every moment to be outside (well, as many as my pale, winter Iowa skin could handle). On this particular morning, I was lounging with my journal and books. One of my friends had gifted me “Cold Tangerines” by Shauna Niequist before the trip, and there was no better time to dig into than under the sweet Sanibel sunshine.

Let me preface what follows with this: I had never heard of Shauna Niequist before this moment. I had never read her books or anything about her. So I was blissfully unaware of how powerful her words were. Because oh my…

What happened on that lounge chair as friends and families ran around playing beach volleyball and prancing into the ocean can only be described as a deeply spiritual moment. Something, and what felt like everything, awakened in me at that moment. What might have appeared to be an ordinary moment to anyone else was a turning point in my relationship with God.

With every turned page, I felt more and more convinced that she had written the book for me. At that point in my life, after growing up in Des Moines in my little community, my access to and knowledge of current Christian writers, speakers, and creatives was fairly limited. But this moment across the country with “Cold Tangerines,” the Holy Spirit whispered to me very clearly and very boldly. This is where you’re headed. This is what you will do, too.

Shauna’s words cut straight to my soul. Her words were—and still are—packed with so much passion, wisdom, and goodness. They are saturated in nostalgia and Truth and hope. Words that make you believe that there is more, that God really is good, and that you are holding that goodness in your very hands. Her talent and heart bled through those pages, landing in a whole other category of language I’d never encountered before. A category I previously believed was just my own—one that was not acceptable or okay. And at this moment, that lie was shattered. My writing wasn’t “too much,” and neither was I.

And today, I’m here to tell you the very same thing. That you are not weird, not crazy, and your creative dreams, visions, and passions aren’t, either. I used to think everyone had a deep, burning passion in the back corner of their souls to write books and speak and pour out battle cries of encouragement for others, but I’ve since realized that is not necessarily the case. There’s a reason God planted that seed in my heart, and there’s a very good reason He planted it in yours, too.

Every and all dreams and visions God shares with any of His children are beautiful and worthy. There’s not one passion or calling that’s better than the other (although God chose to communicate with us through a book… just saying;). But there is just something about creativity in general that can bring out bushels of doubt we didn’t even know we owned. Expressing something God has put on our hearts can feel extremely vulnerable, intimidating, or strange. “Am I doing this right? Am I crazy? Is this normal or okay?” are frequent questions along the way. We need a little booster of encouragement; us creatives have got to help each other out. And here’s what I’ve learned:

Your passions are not random. That jolt of excitement you get when you’re lost in a bookstore, flipping through pages of a beautiful magazine, or soaking in a song that hits just the right note on your heart? Not random. God didn’t haphazardly slap an assortment of passions on your heart. Rather, He handpicked each thing that lights you up and inspires you. And He did it so that His glory—bits of Heaven on Earth—would bring people to their knees in awe and wonder.

God is the OG Creator. The very first thing we learn about Him in Genesis 1:1 is that He creates:  “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” Before we know any other characteristics, quirks, passions, habits, traits… we know that He’s a Creative at heart. I love that He reveals Himself to us like that. First things first, folks. Creatives run the world (just kidding. Kind of).

The creativity in us mirrors Him—the OG Creator. The one who did it first and best. In the same way we have a vision for what we want to create, God had that feeling when He designed us. Mic drop, please.

Maybe you know you’re creative but are not sure how to articulate it, pursue it, or accept that it’s not too much. Maybe you’re studying something creative but aren’t fully using those gifts in the way the Holy Spirit is nudging you to. Or maybe, just maybe, you feel like an imposter and haven’t admitted to yourself that you’re a creative yet, even though deep down the Holy Spirit has been speaking that over you. Think again, sweet friend. You are made in His image.

The belief that my writing and the way I viewed the world were “too much” kept me from speaking authentically on my first two blogs, sharing any of the writing God called me to draft, and even talking about my dream and calling to be a writer with anyone else. What I hope for you today, wherever you are, however old you are, whatever you’re doing, is that you wouldn’t let the lie that you are “too much” or that there are already enough writers or creatives in the world. False.

I’m praying that in the same way the Holy Spirit nudged and encouraged me on that beach chair in March 2017, He would do the same for you today in whatever chair you’re relaxing in, in whatever calling He’s put on your heart. Shauna Niequist’s word ignited that acceptance and fire inside of me; and maybe, just maybe, these words are what you need to start forging your own path. To look to God and say, “Okay, Lord. I’m ready. It’s time.”

God didn’t randomly give you the passion to write or draw or sing for nothing. Someone somewhere needs your expression and gift. Someone somewhere will experience God’s glory and His goodness because you so intentionally and bravely chose to pick up that pen and just write the dang thing. Don’t let the fear of needing permission keep you from taking a step in obedience to Him. I’m here to light the path for you today, and I can’t wait to look back and see you doing the same. We are in this together.