Welcome back to The Grace Space! If you tuned in last year, you will notice that the format of these interviews is a bit more conversational. This is for a reason. As an introvert, I have always related to people on a one on one basis better than I can in crowds. This interview is meant to be like sitting in on a conversation with a friend. I pray that it encourages, inspires, and spreads wisdom.
Meet Shante’, Founder of Daily She Pursues
What is your favorite past time?
This is a hard question! But, out of all the things I enjoy, I would say my favorite past time would include reading a good novel and drinking tea. I’ve been reading a lot for my Master’s Degree but I haven’t really had time to read a novel lately. However, I do look forward to getting to do some leisure reading this winter!
What do you do for a living?
I am currently a full-time student at Liberty University but I also work part time for the school in their Enrollment Office.
I know that you are an author, blogger, and photographer, but you are also a seminary student. What peeked your desire to go to seminary school? How has it been going so far?
That’s a great question! Honestly, it was all God’s leading. I had no interest in going to seminary before I started here at Liberty. I started Daily She Pursues, my online women’s ministry, two years ago while working as a Production Assistant at American Eagle. It started out as a faith-based lifestyle and wellness blog but then grew into a platform for teaching women and helping them to grow in their faith.
Long story short, in 2020, I lost my job in the fashion industry due to the pandemic. While my plan was to wait it out and apply for other jobs in my field, God had something different in mind. So, for almost two months, I had no idea what I was going to do. God began to remind me of the gifts and passions He had placed on my heart, one of them being teaching. After a lot of praying and listening, I realized that God was leading me to pursue higher education in Biblical Studies so that I could effectively teach others. It’s been going great so far! It is pretty challenging and takes up a lot of my time but I’m learning so much and I’m incredibly grateful for that.
Related post: Don’t Panic, Just Pray: Navigating Transitions Well
What encouragement or advice would you give someone who is interested in attending seminary?
The most important advice I would give is to make sure that God is leading you on this path, and that you are doing it for the glory of God, and not for your own personal gain. I’ve had the wonderful opportunity of meeting other women in seminary at Liberty, and every woman that I have met mentioned that they felt God leading them to seminary. Sure, we have encountered obstacles along the way but because God has called us, we can also trust that He will sustain us. So, I would encourage anyone considering seminary to pray about it and be sure that it is something you are doing because of God’s leading, and not your desire alone.
Shante’, you recently published a devotional called, “Faithful: Recalling the Goodness of God.” What inspired this project?
It’s a pretty interesting story, actually! I was sitting at a local university waiting for a client I was supposed to photograph that day. I was deeply distressed because of some things that were not going as I expected. Honestly, I started complaining a lot and I began doubting God’s faithfulness. However, He gently reminded me of all the ways He had been faithful to me in the past. He also reminded me of scripture and how He’s been faithful to His people throughout history. I could stand on His faithfulness even if I didn’t know the outcome of my situation. I started to think of how encouraging that encounter was for me.
Things didn’t necessarily change in that moment but I felt so much more peace and contentment. I thought, why not create a resource for other women who may be struggling in the same way? But I didn’t want it to be filled with my stories alone. So, I decided to make it a collaborative project. My intern, Sammy, and I began reaching out to women in our network and we came up with a team of 28 other women who agreed to write about their experiences with God’s faithfulness for a devotional book!
Who is the Faithful devotional for?
Faithful is for the woman currently in the midst of hardship wondering where God is. She’s struggling to believe that God will show up in her difficult situation, and she’s looking for a resource to encourage her and point her back to Jesus as she walks through this.
How has God shown Himself faithful in your life?
He’s been faithful in so many ways. But, the most recent act of His faithfulness that fills me with awe is how He showed up in that situation I mentioned earlier. One of the things that led to my distress that day was an unfulfilled desire for a relationship. After a lot of dead ends, I was frustrated to say the least. But God didn’t necessarily tell me if or when He’d fulfill that desire. He did something better, and reminded me of His character. He’s a faithful God.
We can have everything we want in life but if we cannot grasp the beauty of God’s character, none of it will matter. Rather than giving details about my situation, God brought be back to the truth about who He is and reminded me of the hope I have in him. His provision won’t always look how I expect, and I might have to walk through hardship but He’s with me and He’s always been. He’s been holding me all of these years. When we started working on Faithful, I had no idea what would happen next concerning this desire. But, I was content. Weeks later, I met an amazing man named David, who became the answer to the prayers I offered to God for so many years.
What is God teaching you in this season of your life?
He is still teaching me to trust him and to look to him for provision. I still need to be reminded of God’s faithfulness as I walk through some of the challenges I currently face. I’ve always been pretty self-sufficient, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. But, that can lead me to putting my hope in myself. I have to remember that my hope is in Christ. Before turning inward to myself or outward to another, I must remember to turn my eyes upward to the Lord and ask for His help.
What comes to mind when you think of the word grace?
I think about how grateful I am that God is gracious. He has shown me so much undeserved grace. I don’t ever want to take His grace for granted and as He has extended grace to me, I also want to extend grace to others.
When you look at your Grace Lane & Co. mug what comes to mind?
Honestly, it reminds me of the two greatest commandments. We are called to love God and others. It’s so simple but also so challenging. The mug is the perfect reminder for the start of each day since I want to prioritize being genuine in my love for God and His people!
I hope that you all loved this interview! Please check out Faithful: Recalling the Goodness of God and follow Shante’ on Instagram and her blog.
Big hugs,
Ayanna