Overcomer Series with Holly Mackle
What do you do?
I am the editor for Engaging Motherhood, a site devoted to content that encourages mamas to give grace to themselves and others during the hard, early days of mothering. We are void of how-to’s or checklists, and seek to point mamas back to Jesus and his sufficiency to give them all they need to care for themselves and their family.
Growing up, did you always dream that you would be doing what you’re doing now?
When a professor called me out in front of a class and told me to never stop writing, it pressed some hope deep down that one day I might actually get to do just that. After grad school I wrote in secret for years, ashamed of my “decadent” desire to create and my heart to impact others for good using words.
What made you decide to “go for it” in terms of your career goals/ambitions?
I grew tired of hiding and keeping friends and others from seeing the real me. Even now I sit and wonder how this happened. I am a part of a wonderfully authentic church, I have supportive, loving, and engaged friendships, I have a husband who practically {and sometimes literally} shouted “TELL SOMEONE” at every turn. And I couldn’t—I was gripped by the father of lies. I let evil gnaw on my ear and tell me who I was instead of resting in the completed work of Christ on my behalf. I started to wonder how many other women were hearing nothing but lies all day long, and when you add that to the difficult, early days of mothering–it’s a recipe for disaster. I got some friends together and we wrote the first draft of the study that the site is now based on Engaging Motherhood, Heart Preparation for a Holy Calling {CDM, 2016}.
Did you face adversity? How did you overcome that?
Every day I sit down to write feels like a fist raised in revolt. And I’m beginning to wonder if that’s true for every creative/businesswoman/homemaker/inventor/you name it. We are constantly attacked at the very core of who God created us to be so that we will not reveal and represent his truth.
A lot of women have these big goals & big ideas that they’d like to bring to life, what advice would you give them in terms of how they can make that happen?
For those who experience tremendous shame right at the point of their greatest gifting—gifting given to them by a loving God who longs to see it used for his glory and their good: run to Jesus. Graduate from the college of shame and “TELL SOMEONE!” Ask your friends to draw their arrows and stand at your back. Now when I look back to the me covered in shame, I don’t even recognize her. This woman is a warrior and a wordy one at that. She is way less afraid of what people might think. She will write some transparency that others aren’t saying, at least out loud. She wants to beat back the darkness for herself, her areas of influence, and her unsaved friends. And she wants to do it all for the glory of King Jesus.
What’s the biggest regret you have when it comes to your blog/shop/business?
I regret not being honest with my people about my true desires right from the start; not letting people in.
What’s been your proudest moment so far?
The publication of Engaging Motherhood and my Advent devotional–Little Hearts Prepare Him Room {CDM, 2016}, were surreal moments for me. I don’t have words for how I felt when I saw them in print–just some awkward tap dancing and uncertainty about what to do with my hands. God wanted to show me that he was bigger than I could have imagined, and he sure did.
And, just because we like our coffee around here, how do you take yours?
Tea, if you don’t mind…extra hot, one sugar, with milk.
I believe in the story of the overcomer. That has been my story and I believe that is your story too. We want your journey here on the blog to help encourage others just like you and me. If you’d like to share that with us, please come over and share your story with us!
Was this story an encouragement to you? Share it with others!