Gypsy for God

Kathleen finds herself at loose ends when she closes the book on her accounting career. She isn't quite sure what to do with herself, and she wonders if she has a purpose anymore. She considers a couple of things and decides she might make a good travel agent. She does. And that new career leads her on a journey she never expected.

I could absolutely relate to Kathleen! I'm also a middle-aged woman. I haven't held the same job for decades like she had (recently made a career pivot, in fact!), but I can relate to the idea of feeling like you've had the rug pulled out from under you when you lose something that's that much a part of you.

The story focuses on Kathleen's struggle to find her purpose, find meaning in her life. I think a lot of us base our identity, our sense of value, on the jobs we hold. As she takes on her new role as a travel agent, Kathleen visits places she might recommend for her clients. She wants to know that she's sending them to good places. She has to overcome a lot of anxieties and fears to travel internationally, but she does, one little bit at a time.

When she encounters a poverty-stricken child, her eyes are opened. Could this travel be part of a bigger plan that God has for her? What can she do to make a difference in the life of this child and others similarly situated?

And thus began Kathleen's journey to establish a ministry she called Gypsies for God – connecting needs with people and resources to meet them, sending people around the world to be the hands and feet of Jesus. I liked the way the set-up unfolded. Getting a project of this magnitude rolling doesn't happen overnight. Kathleen planned and prayed, consulted with others for their input, and logged more than a few miles traveling to explain her vision. The process was depicted realistically, and the frustration Kathleen felt when she wasn't sure if it would work out is something I think all of us can understand. Was she making the right choice? Is this really what God was calling her to do? I've certainly asked questions like that.

I also found the portrayal of Kathleen walking out in faith something that resonated with me. She wasn't someone who is just on fire for the Lord, who seems to take every step in absolute confidence in His plan. She waffled, she hesitated, she doubted. Hello, I'm Kathleen. I have waffled, hesitated, and doubted when it feels like God has a new direction for me. (I've also thrown myself headlong into situations I really hope are God's direction for me and sometimes they aren't, but that's another story.)

This book is about change, about shifting gears when the familiar disappears. Kathleen showed herself willing to step outside of the familiar and follow where she felt God leading her, and it changed her life in ways she never could have imagined. What a beautiful reminder that God will faithfully lead us if we will just trust and go.

Disclaimer: I received a review copy of this book from WOW! Women on Writing. All opinions are mine, and I don't say nice things about books I don't actually like.