Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Rachael Adams. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Rachael, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. So let’s jump to your mission – what’s the backstory behind how you developed the mission that drives your brand?

I never set out to be a writer or podcaster. However, one Sunday during a morning church service, a love offering envelope caught my eye. Typically these envelopes are for monetary giving, but at that moment in that church pew, I sensed the Lord say, “You are my love offering.” He had filled my heart with His love and I could no longer selfishly keep it to myself. I wanted others to experience His love too. But how? I knew the greatest commandment was to love the Lord with all of my heart, mind, soul, and strength and to love my neighbor as myself. However, knowing this commandment and living it out are two very different things. The more I talked with my family and friends, I quickly discovered I was not alone in feeling this tension. In a conversation with a friend, she suggested I start interviewing women to hear their stories about how they were living out their faith. Now four seasons later, I’ve had the opportunity to interview over 200 men and women. Each person with a unique story to tell, but an equally as important call on their life. Every conversation has encouraged and equipped me in one way or another. The irony of the Love Offering podcast is that I actually doubt what I have to offer myself and over the years I’ve discovered I’m not alone in these feelings. We want our lives to count, but we feel like our lives are too small to make a big difference. It is my hope that I can help change this narrative. That every person would realize their God-given purpose and believe their lives are significant to God’s kingdom. Because in His hands, small acts done with great love can have an enormous impact.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

Are you longing for significance?

If so, you aren’t alone. I know how it feels to question whether my contributions matter. I was born and raised in a small rural Kentucky town. After going away to college and getting married to my husband Bryan, we returned to my hometown. I briefly worked outside the home until we had our two children, at which point I decided to stay home with them full-time. My days revolved around diapers, bottles, and Cheerios. Even though I knew in my heart it was important work, some days it didn’t feel that way.

Now that both of my children are in school, most days I’m alone to attend to my daily responsibilities, accompanied only by my animals. When my husband Bryan comes home from work and asks how my day was, I typically lists all of the things I accomplished: today I read my Bible, made the beds, walked the dogs, wrote a devotion, recorded a podcast, went to the grocery store, paid bills, cooked dinner, washed dishes and clothes, helped with homework, took the kids to their games, etc.

On one of these occasions, I realized that when Bryan asked, he wasn’t necessarily asking what I’d done, but rather simply wondering how I was. It was an epiphany moment that what I really desired was the assurance that I was doing a good job. That I was significant.

This was a common occurrence for me. I would lay my head down at night reflecting on what I had accomplished, and wake up to my alarm and start again, back to what I perceived to be square one. I realized that each day I had a choice. Would I begin again regardless of how small my work seemed in the grand scheme of things, trusting God would use it all? Or, would I grow discouraged and be lulled to sleep by the monotony, believing it is all unimpactful and pointless?

This is your choice too. While your to-do list may look different, our hearts are likely similar. We want our lives to count, but feel minuscule like our ordinary, everyday moments will never amount to anything. We take stock of the families we were born into, the towns we grew up in, and the positions we serve in, then determine that they are of little value. If we aren’t careful, we can start to believe that who we are, where we are, and what we are doing doesn’t really matter.

But despite living in a culture where bigger is seen as better, I’m finding that a significant life is actually simpler than we think. A quick prayer between errands, a meal shared with family, or a short text to a friend means something in God’s kingdom. We can affect others while standing in the check-out line or sitting on the game-field sidelines, while walking the dog, or talking to a colleague at work.

Contrary to how you may feel, every little thing you do can go a long way in God’s hands. Through my devotional, A Little Goes a Long Way: 52 Days to a Significant Life, I hope to help you believe that when you partner with God, He can use even the most minute things to affect eternity in ways beyond what you can imagine.

If you are longing for significance and questioning whether your contributions matter, I want to help you realize how important what you do is and how significant you truly are. It isn’t about doing more but trusting in the value of all the little you are already doing. Grab your copy of A Little Goes a Long Way and watch God take your everyday actions and transform them for His eternal purposes. A significant life is simpler (and smaller) than you think.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

Insecurity has been the thorn in my side for as long as I can remember. But, because of my loved one’s belief in me and my belief in the Lord, I’ve taken steps of faith I never dreamed I would. One of the things I never would have believed I’d do is be a podcast host. To give you a better understanding of why this reality seemed so far-fetched, let me share a bit more of my background. In college, I thought I wanted to major in broadcast journalism. I dreamed of being the next Katie Couric from the Today Show. My freshman year, one of the prerequisites was a public speaking class. For my final exam, I had to present a persuasive speech in front of the class. While I don’t remember the grade I received (probably because I wanted to forget it), I do remember the anxiety I experienced. So much so, I dropped the major in defeat and switched to business management.

More than a decade later, when I first started podcasting, the thorn of inadequacy pierced my side again. I’m not eloquent enough to speak on a public scale. Who would want to listen to me? Who would agree to be interviewed by me? I won’t be able to figure out the technology. The unbelief in myself was suffocating, but my friends and family encouraged me to believe in the God who created me. I took a step of faith forward knowing I could have confidence because He was with me. So with much fear and trembling, I downloaded a free podcasting app and began asking women to be my guests. I was in awe that the majority said yes! But then came the time to conduct the actual interview. I was so scared of saying the wrong thing, getting tongue-tied, or not knowing what to say at all! Of course, there were times when all three of those things happened (thank goodness for grace and editing), but more often than not I felt God’s presence guiding each conversation and providing the words I lacked. Now, here I am, wrapping up season four with plans to begin recording season five. As I look back on my journey, I can only credit the Lord. “Only God” is my only explanation. Because communicating to the public through both written and spoken form is the majority of what I do on a daily basis. How ironic, right? Even though it is out of my comfort zone, interviewing people for my podcast has become one of God’s greatest gifts to me.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?

Lord, I must have heard you wrong. I had just finished an appointment with an acquisitions editor at a writer’s conference, and it had gone terribly. That one 15-minute conversation made me question years of conversations with the Lord. Alone in my hotel room, I cried in defeat and contemplated packing my bags and driving back home. In a hail-mary attempt to regroup, I reached for my phone to play some music. The first words I heard were from Lauren Daigle’s song You Say. In it, she talks about fighting against voices that tell her she’s not enough. As the song continues, she goes on to sing about the truth that, in Christ, we are loved, we are held, and we are strong. I wept as each positive affirmation from the Lord swept over my heart. Lauren’s song helped me gather myself, remind me of my identity in Christ, and stay at the conference when I wanted to leave. Now, every time I hear that song on the radio I think back to that moment in the hotel room where God spoke to me through her lyrics. At that moment I feel like God was saying don’t let anyone else define your identity. So I stayed. And goodness I’m so glad that I did because now, five years later, my devotional has been traditionally published.

Our failures shape us. It’s easy to take rejection to heart and start to think that we don’t have what it takes after all. On this topic, my agent once told me that one of the biggest mistakes she sees aspiring authors make is giving up too soon. Instead of trying to learn and grow in their craft, they stop chasing their dreams. In many ways, my times of failure have made me realize the value of perseverance. My failures have developed my character and made me more empathetic to those that may be where I was five years ago. To those who are questioning if they have what it takes, want to quit, pack their suitcases, and go home, I can tell them my story to encourage them to keep going and not give up.

I believe God was intervening throughout all of this. His nos were for my protection and His not yets were for preparation. Had my book been published when I first submitted it I don’t think the message was ready, and I don’t think I was ready. Nor was my family ready for what the publishing industry and marketing of the devotional required. Often, what we think are unanswered prayers are His way of actually giving us more than we can ask or imagine.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.rachaelkadams.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rachaeladamsauthor
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rachaeladamsauthor

Image Credits
Dani Ford Photography