The Spectacular "Something Else" ✨

Hey Gorgeous! Ever had a plan you were so sure about… and then God gently whispers, “something else”?

In this sparkly episode, we’re leaning into the beauty of divine redirection! Sometimes that detour is actually a dazzling setup!  God’s “something else” isn’t always a no, it can be a glow-up in disguise. 💫💛💜✨

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:13

Hey gorgeous, and welcome to the Gorgeous and Graceful Life Podcast. I'm Annie, your host, and I'm so happy that you tuned in to today's episode. So I have a funny story to share with you. This week's episode is not this week's episode. I originally created an entire episode, and I know that I saved it, but for whatever reason, it is nowhere to be found. I have tried every single auto recovery trick that exists to retrieve this particular episode, and I have had zero luck. I also tried to recreate the episode, and for whatever reason, it just didn't feel as good as the first draft that I had prepared. And after thinking about it a bit, I decided that perhaps God wanted me to create an episode about something else. So today we will be taking excuse me, we will be talking about what happens when God says, I have something else for you. This message is also for you, God, and my response is I heard you. Now, here's my honest experience of what occurs when we are not ready to shift into the something else era of a situation. There is obviously disappointment, confusion, and a stronger desire for what was originally expected. And I'm telling you, friends, I searched high and low for my lost episode. I spent time on something that completely disappeared. And once I couldn't find it right away, I wanted to locate it even more. These are all normal reactions when we are being guided into something else or something different than we intended. And I know there are women out there right now wondering why they didn't get the house, why they didn't get the job, why they didn't pass their class, why haven't they found their special someone? Why aren't they a mom yet? Or why they have to wait just a little bit longer for whatever it is they've been waiting for. And what's important to understand is that God doesn't just see one thing, God sees the whole picture, He sees what these things will lead to, what they will cost you, and what they might quietly take away from you. And so He's not saying no, he's saying there's something else. So today I want to share with you three magical ways to embrace the spectacular something else. So number one, look for the upgrade. Doing something else isn't always a downgrade. Sometimes it's the setup for an upgrade or something better. In 2022, I decided to surprise my kids and take them on a trip to the zoo. So we drove out to San Diego and when we arrived, we were told that we needed a reservation in order to purchase a ticket. And of course, they were fresh out of reservations. So I whipped out my cell phone and I tried to find something else that was still outdoors and still really cool that we could do. Luckily, the San Diego Zoo Safari Park popped up and there were reservations available. So I purchased tickets and we headed there instead. But was so super great was that the safari park had private tours available that allowed you to take your own private safari and encounter animals up close, which is what we did. Our something else turned out to be an upgrade and something totally better than we had originally planned. You can easily identify the upgrade when you ask yourself this question. What is being added here that I didn't expect? Number two, look for the purpose. When I was planning my wedding almost 19 years ago, I had picked 777 as my wedding date. It seemed like the perfect day to get married. 7 is considered a lucky number, and I thought that I was lucky to be marrying my fiance and surely he was lucky to be married to me. Right? Well, that date turned out to be not so lucky after all. As it turns out, the rest of America thought that was a great day to get married too. And so it was very hard to find a venue with the date available. It was also hard to find vendors as well. At one point, venues and vendors were charging double deposits and doubling the cost because the date was so in demand. It was God's way of saying, do something else, Annie. So I picked another date. Over time I realized God's purpose in this. One thing is that God already knew that I was going to be married for a long time. And God also knew that He didn't want me to have to compete with making future reservations to celebrate my anniversary. Could you imagine me every single year competing with the Fourth of July holiday as well as the thousands of couples that were also married on 777 just to secure a reservation or travel plans during high peak summer season? Jeremiah 29 11 says, For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord. Plans to prosper you and not to harm you. Plans to give you hope and a future. The disclaimer here is that sometimes in looking for the purpose, you may not find it immediately, but in time it will become crystal clear. Number three, look for the spectacular. When God says something else, there is a pers perception of feeling a little bit lost. But you are not where you thought you were going to be, and at the same time you're not sure where you're going. It appears that you are nowhere, but realistically you are still somewhere. And friend, there are always spectacular things that you can experience at the four-way intersection of where, what, when, and how. Some of those spectacular things can look like an abundance of new choices that you get to make, new places to explore, and even new possibilities you hadn't even considered. Here are some ways you can do that. Let's say you didn't get the house you put an offer on. Well now you have a lot of new choices. You can choose to look for another house in a new city, new state, or new country. You can choose a different type of housing. You can choose to build a home instead. You can choose to remodel the home you are in. You can even choose to do nothing, which also means you don't have to pack anything as well. Perhaps the housing market is getting ready to shift into your favor. When you look for the spectacular, you are able to really embrace your something else era. Remember, the something else era isn't your story falling apart. You are just getting a much more exciting chapter or another gorgeous ending that is different than what you expected. So when God says there's something else, friend, look for the upgrade, look for the purpose, and look for the spectacular. But before I go, I want to leave you with your gorgeous and graceful life challenge. Here's what you're gonna do. As you go through this week or next week, I want you to be fully aware and notice any moments where the plans have changed and you are in a something else scenario. I want you to identify either the upgrade, the purpose, or something spectacular in that moment. And then share it with us by sending us a sparkly text. You can do that by hitting that link in the show notes. Listen, it's always a pleasure to walk this gorgeous and graceful life with you. If you enjoyed this episode, remember to like, subscribe, or share it with a friend. Until next time, walk gorgeously, live gracefully, and joy will find you.