Watching Her Fly: What My Daughter Taught Me About Courage, Purpose, and Trusting God
As mothers, we spend years teaching our children how to walk.
We hold their hands as toddlers. We cheer them on through scraped knees and hard lessons. We encourage them when they doubt themselves and celebrate every victory, big and small.
But there comes a day when motherhood asks something different of us.
It asks us to let go.
Not because we stop loving our children, but because our love must grow into something new. It must become trust.
Recently, on our podcast, I had the privilege of interviewing my daughter, Nancy. She is twenty-two years old and currently pursuing her dream of becoming a pilot.
As I listened to her tell her story, I found myself experiencing something that only mothers of adult children truly understand.
Pride.
Gratitude.
Wonder.
And a deep awareness that God has been working in her life long before either of us could see where the journey would lead.
Nancy is the seventh of eight children. Like many young adults, she has spent the last several years trying to figure out who she is, what she wants, and where God is leading her.
What struck me most during our conversation wasn't that she wants to fly airplanes.
It was the courage it took for her to pursue something that scared her.
Many people assume that courage means feeling confident.
Nancy taught me something different.
Courage means doing it scared.
When she first scheduled a flying lesson, she almost talked herself out of it. She was frustrated by the drive. She questioned whether it was worth the time. She wasn't even sure she wanted to go.
Yet something inside her kept nudging her forward.
Looking back, she describes it as a quiet calling.
Not loud.
Not dramatic.
Just persistent.
And isn't that often how God works?
We expect lightning bolts.
We expect certainty.
We expect a detailed roadmap.
Instead, God often gives us a gentle invitation.
A desire.
A curiosity.
A dream we can't quite shake.
And then He waits to see whether we will trust Him enough to take the next step.
What moved me most was hearing Nancy talk about failure.
In a culture obsessed with success, achievement, and appearances, she spoke openly about how often she struggles.
Every time she gets into the airplane, she makes mistakes.
Every lesson reveals something she still doesn't know.
Every stage of training stretches her beyond her comfort zone.
Yet she keeps showing up.
As her mother, I wanted to reach through the microphone and tell her how proud I was.
Not because she is becoming a pilot.
Not because of any title she may earn.
But because she is becoming the kind of woman who keeps moving forward when things are difficult.
That is a skill that will serve her far beyond aviation.
It will serve her in marriage someday.
It will serve her in motherhood.
It will serve her in friendships, work, and faith.
Because life will always require courage.
There is no season where we finally arrive and never feel afraid again.
As I listened to her talk, I realized how many women struggle with the exact same fears.
Maybe your dream isn't aviation.
Maybe your calling looks completely different.
Perhaps God is asking you to start a business.
Go back to school.
Serve in a ministry.
Write a book.
Become a better wife.
Heal from old wounds.
Learn Natural Family Planning.
Volunteer at your parish.
Take care of your health.
Or simply begin believing that your life matters.
Yet so many women never take the first step because they are waiting to feel ready.
The truth is, readiness is often overrated.
Most worthwhile things begin with uncertainty.
Motherhood certainly did for me.
I remember bringing home my first baby and wondering if I had any idea what I was doing.
The answer was no.
But I learned.
I grew.
I made mistakes.
I kept showing up.
And God met me there.
Nancy said something during our conversation that I haven't stopped thinking about.
She said, "Feel the feeling."
What wisdom.
So many of us spend our lives trying to avoid uncomfortable emotions.
We push down fear.
We run from disappointment.
We judge ourselves for feeling anxious.
We believe that if we were stronger, holier, or more faithful, we wouldn't feel those things.
But God created us as human beings.
Human beings feel emotions.
Fear is not failure.
Doubt is not failure.
Uncertainty is not failure.
They are simply part of being human.
The question is not whether you feel afraid.
The question is what you do next.
Do you stay frozen?
Or do you move forward anyway?
Another moment that deeply touched me was when Nancy spoke about gratitude.
She shared how she reached a point where she had to stop focusing on titles, achievements, and external success.
Instead, she had to ask herself what she genuinely loved.
Not what sounded impressive.
Not what looked good on social media.
Not what other people expected.
What did she truly love?
Her answer surprised me.
She doesn't love the title of pilot.
She loves flying.
There is a profound difference.
One seeks recognition.
The other seeks purpose.
And I think many women need to hear that.
Sometimes we become so focused on what our life should look like that we forget to ask what brings us alive.
What makes your heart beat faster?
What activity causes you to lose track of time?
What desire keeps resurfacing despite your attempts to ignore it?
Perhaps that desire is not random.
Perhaps it is an invitation.
One of my favorite moments came near the end of our conversation when Nancy said, "I did it scared."
I love that.
Not "I did it perfectly."
Not "I did it confidently."
Not "I had everything figured out."
Simply:
"I did it scared."
What if that became our motto?
What if we stopped waiting for perfect confidence?
What if we stopped believing that fear means stop?
What if we trusted that God can work through trembling hands and uncertain hearts?
What if we simply took the next step?
As a mother, watching my daughter pursue her passion has been one of the great joys of this season of life.
Not because I know exactly where her path will lead.
I don't.
But because I see her becoming the woman God created her to be.
And ultimately, that is every mother's prayer.
This is why Mama Jane and I do what we do.
We want every woman who listens to our podcast, reads our blogs, attends our workshops, or works with us in coaching to discover the desires God has placed within her heart.
We want you to stop settling for fear.
We want you to stop believing you're too late, too old, too inexperienced, or too broken.
We want you to discover the gifts, passions, and purpose God uniquely placed within you.
Most of all, we want you to become the woman God created you to be.
If you're feeling stuck, confused, or unsure about what God is calling you to in this season of life, we would love to help.
Fill out the form below and schedule a free coaching conversation with Mama Jane.
Together, we'll help you uncover the gifts, desires, and dreams God has placed within your heart—and take the next step toward becoming the woman He created you to be.