By Mama Jane
One of the questions I hear most often from Catholic women is this:
"How do I know if this desire is from God?"
It's a beautiful question.
It's also a heartbreaking one.
Because underneath that question is usually a woman who has spent years second-guessing herself.
She wants to be faithful.
She wants to be holy.
She wants to do God's will.
But somewhere along the way she started believing that wanting something is dangerous.
Maybe she learned that holiness means sacrifice, so every desire must be selfish.
Maybe she learned that a good Catholic woman should focus on everyone else and not herself.
Maybe she's afraid that if she follows a dream, she'll somehow miss God's plan.
So she waits.
She overthinks.
She analyzes.
She asks for one more sign.
One more confirmation.
One more guarantee.
And while she's waiting, the desire never leaves.
I was thinking about this while recording a recent podcast episode with a young Catholic entrepreneur named David Noel. What struck me wasn't his real estate investments, his business ownership, or his financial goals.
What struck me was his willingness to move.
He didn't have a ten-year roadmap.
He didn't have certainty.
He didn't know exactly how everything would work out.
He simply took the next step in front of him while continuing to pray, learn, and trust God.
And I found myself wondering how many women are doing the exact opposite.
Not because they are lazy.
Not because they lack intelligence.
Not because they lack faith.
But because they are afraid.
Afraid of making the wrong decision.
Afraid of failing.
Afraid of looking foolish.
Afraid that if they take a step and it doesn't work out, they will somehow disappoint God.
Friend, can I tell you something?
God is not asking you to predict the future.
He's asking you to trust Him.
There is a difference.
So many women are waiting for complete certainty before they act.
But that's not how Scripture works.
Abraham didn't get a complete map.
Moses didn't get a complete map.
Peter didn't get a complete map.
Mary didn't get a complete map.
They received enough light for the next step.
Then they had to trust.
I wonder how many dreams God has placed in the hearts of women that never become reality because those women are waiting for guarantees God never promised.
Now let's be clear.
Not every desire comes from God.
Some desires are rooted in pride.
Some are rooted in wounds.
Some are rooted in comparison.
Some are rooted in the need for approval.
This is why discernment matters.
This is why prayer matters.
This is why self-awareness matters.
This is why understanding your interior life matters.
One of the reasons I care so deeply about helping women understand themselves is because it becomes easier to recognize what is happening inside them.
A woman who understands her fears is less controlled by them.
A woman who understands her wounds is less likely to confuse them with God's voice.
A woman who understands her gifts is more likely to use them.
A woman who understands her desires can bring them honestly before God.
That last one is important.
Because many women don't bring their desires to God.
They hide them from Him.
They pray about everyone else's needs.
They pray about their children's needs.
Their husband's needs.
Their parish's needs.
Their parents' needs.
But they rarely bring their own desires into prayer.
What if God wants to talk about those desires?
What if He placed some of them there?
What if the dream you've been carrying for years isn't an obstacle to holiness but an invitation into it?
What if the thing you keep dismissing is actually connected to the mission God has for your life?
I think many Catholic women have been taught how to sacrifice.
I don't think we've done a very good job teaching them how to discern.
We've taught them how to serve.
We've taught them how to give.
We've taught them how to endure.
But many women have never learned how to sit before the Lord and ask:
"Why did You make me this way?"
"Why does this matter so much to me?"
"What are You inviting me into?"
"How do You want me to use these gifts?"
"Lord, is this desire leading me closer to You or farther away from You?"
Those are powerful questions.
And they require courage.
Because sometimes God says yes.
Sometimes He says not yet.
Sometimes He redirects us completely.
But you'll never discover the answer if you're unwilling to ask the question.
One of the things we say often on the podcast is:
Trust Your Body. Grow in Holiness.
That doesn't mean every feeling is truth.
It doesn't mean every desire should be followed.
It means God created you as an integrated woman.
Your body matters.
Your emotions matter.
Your gifts matter.
Your experiences matter.
Your desires matter.
Not because they replace God.
Because they help reveal where God may be working.
Philomena, I want to speak directly to you.
If you've been feeling restless lately...
If you keep wondering whether there is something more...
If you feel like God may be inviting you into a new season but you're afraid to take the first step...
Please stop trying to figure it all out by yourself.
You do not need another year of overthinking.
You do not need another year of asking everyone else what you should do.
You do not need another year of doubting yourself every time God stirs something in your heart.
What you need is clarity.
What you need is discernment.
What you need is someone who can help you sort through the noise, identify what's keeping you stuck, and learn how to recognize God's invitations in your life.
That's why I coach.
Not because I can tell you God's plan.
I can't.
But I can help you recognize the fears, lies, wounds, and patterns that often prevent women from hearing Him clearly.
If this blog feels like it was written directly for you, that's probably because it was.
Schedule a free discovery call.
Let's talk about what's stirring in your heart.
Let's talk about what's keeping you stuck.
Let's talk about the dream you haven't told anyone about.
Because the God who created you is not playing hide-and-seek with your purpose.
And the desire that won't leave you alone may be the very place He is waiting for you to trust Him.