Obedience before understanding sounds beautiful on paper—until you’re the one living it.

I used to think obedience meant saying yes when God’s direction made sense, when the numbers added up, when the doors swung open perfectly and the timeline felt clean. But what happens when obedience looks like walking away from a dream you want… before you understand why? What happens when the answer is “not yet” and everything in you is wired for now?

This episode is my heart on the table about that tension—especially for those of us who are dreamers, builders, and doers.

In this episode, I walk through three specific chapters of my Hustle & Heart story:

• The opportunity to open a second location when another salon was closing.
• The “golden” offer from a building owner that fell apart the day before my lease expired.
• The dream of opening a city location with my stylist Anna—and the mutual conviction to lay it down.

Each one looked like a dream on paper. Each one carried excitement, potential, and possibility. And each one ended with a no or a not yet that felt like heartbreak before it felt like protection.

Key Themes & Takeaways

Dreaming is God-given—forcing is not.

Discernment protects what desire can’t see.

Obedience often feels like loss before it feels like peace.

Red flags are kindness, not challenges.

Your body is often the first messenger of the Holy Spirit.

Waiting is spiritual strength training.

Favorite Quotes from This Episode

Here are a few lines that really hold the heart of what we talked about:

“A God-given dream pursued outside of God’s timing becomes a burden, not a blessing.”

“The phone call I thought was ruining everything was actually God saving everything.”

“If you have to talk yourself into peace, it isn’t peace.”

“Red flags are not a challenge to defeat—they are kindness from a God who doesn’t want you walking into unnecessary pain.”

“Waiting isn’t wasted time; it’s formative time. God loves you too much to rush what He’s still strengthening you to hold.”

Chapter Markers

00:00 – Obedience Before Understanding

02:36 – The Gift & Temptation of Being a Dreamer

04:31 – The Second Location That Never Was

06:23 – The “Golden” Opportunity That Fell Apart

09:26 – The City Location with Anna

12:01 – Preparation, Not Punishment

16:07 – Pressure vs. Peace

19:13 – Waiting as Strength Training

20:41 – Expansion in God’s Timing

Your Turn

If you’re in a “not yet” season, I want you to hear this: you’re not behind, you’re not forgotten, and you’re not failing. You’re being led. The same God who planted that dream in you is the one who knows exactly when and how to bring it to life—without asking you to sacrifice your peace to get there.

This week’s reflection: Where are you feeling pressure to force something—and what would it look like to choose peace and obedience over urgency, even before you understand?

Take that to your journal, to prayer, or even into a conversation with a trusted friend. Pay attention to what your body does when you think about that decision or that dream. Is your chest tight or are your shoulders dropping? Are you scrambling to justify it, or do you feel settled?

Obedience begins where understanding ends. And I promise—you are not walking that out alone. 🤍

💛 Let’s Stay Connected

I really do mean it when I say: my DMs are always open.

✨ Got a story to share? A moment that hit home? Slide in anytime.

Here’s where to find me and go deeper:

Instagram →⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/jessica_hustleandheartsalon/⁠⁠

Podcast blog →⁠ ⁠https://hustleandheartsalon.com/blog/⁠⁠ 

Salon home →⁠⁠ ⁠⁠https://hustleandheartsalon.com/