What if your dream doesn't unfold the way you expected?
If you've ever faced a detour or disappointment in your pursuit of a passion project, this conversation will speak straight to your heart.
IF YOU’VE EVER FELT DISCOURAGED WHEN A DREAM DIDN’T WORK OUT, THIS IS THE EPISODE FOR YOU!
This week, I’m joined by worship leader, songwriter, and accidental entrepreneur Andrea Olson, founder of Overflow Worship. Andrea opens up about the evolution of her God-shaped dream—from music ministry to equipping worship teams to coaching faith-driven entrepreneurs—and how she’s learned to take faithful, surrendered steps even when things didn’t go as planned.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
🌟 How openness to change allows a dream to evolve in unexpected and life-giving directions,
🤲🏼 The power of surrendered action over stalled-out indecision, and
🎯 What to do when your prayers don’t seem to be answered.
Andrea’s story will remind you that God’s plans are always bigger and more beautiful than what we imagine—even when the path to get there looks like failure or setback.
You’ll walk away with a deeper confidence that He knows what He’s doing and that your faithful obedience matters.
✨ Want help discerning your next step?
Grab the free 7-day devotional: 7 Truths to Silence the Voice of Self-Doubt for a short, Scripture-rich resource to help you refocus on truth and move forward in faith. Grab it here: https://www.merrittonsa.com/devo
CONNECT WITH MERRITT:
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CONNECT WITH ANDREA:
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Enjoy This Episode?
Here are some additional episodes you might enjoy as well:
Ep 269: Surrendering to a Dream Out of Your Comfort Zone w/ Yohonna Smith Apple | Spotify
Ep 286: Top 3 Traps Standing in the Way of Your God-Given Purpose Apple | Spotify
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The unedited transcript for this episode of The Devoted Dreamers Podcast follows:
Hey there, dreamer—
It’s been a minute, but I’m so glad to be back.
Welcome to episode 342 of the Devoted Dreamers Podcast. Today we are talking about The Power of Surrendering Your Plans to Follow God’s Calling.
This conversation is full of wisdom and grace for the woman whose plans aren’t going as expected. And if that’s YOU, I’m so glad you’re here. Because dreams can be unpredictable and it’s helpful to know that going in.
I can’t wait to introduce you to my guest today, Andrea Olson.
Andrea is a distinguished worship leader, songwriter, and entrepreneur committed to equipping the Church with resources that inspire faith where life really happens.
As the founder of Overflow Worship, she is calling a generation to rise up - because the Church of tomorrow depends on what we do today. Overflow Worship creates content and tools that tackle life’s challenges, celebrate the beauty and goodness of the Church, and encourage the body of Christ in their faith journey.
Through innovative media, events, resources and worship experiences, Andrea and her team are reshaping how people engage with worship, scripture, and community and deepening our understanding of the lifestyle of worship.
In this episode with Andrea she shares the ways her dream has shifted over the years from what she might’ve thought it was at the beginning. She talks about what she’s learned from unmet expectations, and why surrendering to God’s leading—even when it’s not what you expected—can turn into something far more beautiful.
If you’ve ever wondered whether a shift or disappointment in your dream meant you missed it or messed up, this episode will encourage you to keep trusting Him and taking the next surrendered step.
I’m your host Merritt Onsa – a Christian life coach — I’m kinda like the Joanna Gaines for women of faith who have big dreams about how God might re-order the second half of your life — so you can use your gifts and life experiences to usher in beauty, redemption, healing and service to others.
It’s not a re-design of your home that we’re working on….
It’s a brand-new way to live — in freedom… free from fear, free from second-guessing yourself all the time, and free from the lies that the enemy has used to keep you quiet and playing small in the past.
Isn’t it about time more of us who believe in Christ started living that way?!
I’m on a mission to engage 10,000 women worldwide to start taking intentional and purposeful steps that will bring their God-shaped dreams to life!
If you believe in Jesus, and you see His work in your life and you’re aware that you’ve been given gifts, talents, and a life story that could serve and benefit others. … maybe you’re among those 10,000.
I hope that you are…
Because you’re here listening to a podcast about dreams – maybe you’re looking for a chance to see if your dream has LEGS. You want to try it on for size and figure out if it’s possible. You want to be inspired and encouraged that there’s hope for what you’ve been dreaming all these years.
Maybe you’ve been too fearful in the past. Or someone dashed your dreams with a comment that hit too close to home. Or you just haven’t had time to figure out how to proceed.
Well, my friend…This is Your time. This is Your space.
If you have big ideas for how God could use the gifts He’s given you and the years of your life that remain, and you have a dream that would serve others – let’s figure out how to turn that heartfelt hidden dream into real, actionable plans with impact for God’s kingdom work in the world.
Andrea Olson, welcome to the Devoted Dreamers podcast.
Andrea:
Oh, thank you so much for having me. I'm really honored to be here.
Merritt Onsa:
It's really fun to have you. I love your background. For those who are not seeing this on video, she has a grand piano in the back. Is it a baby grand?
Andrea:
It's a, it's not a full size grand like a, you know, concert, but it's a, it is a, not a baby. It's a good six foot grand.
Merritt Onsa:
Such a beautiful instrument.
Andrea:
Yes, thank you.
Merritt Onsa:
It's lovely to have you here. And for the listener who's been around for a long time, I'm actually going to kick this off a little bit differently because I have a little bit of your backstory. I would like you to start by talking about the early years of your God-shaped dream. You've told me that it's changed a bit and so I'd love to hear how it all started. Wherever you'd like to begin.
Andrea:
Yeah, absolutely. It's so interesting because I'm somebody who like, I like systems, I like predictability, and I like to, you know, set my mind on one thing and then, okay, that's the goal. That's what we're doing.
And I love how the Lord, he's been so gracious along the way, but that's just not the way that this has been. And I know that it's his leading and guiding because if it were up to me, I think I would have just kind of said, nope, this is the one thing I said I was going to do. And this is what we're gonna stick to. And so I would say, you know, early on, I've always had a passion for music. It's always been just the joy of my heart to sing songs, to write songs.
And I always thought that that's what I would be doing, to be completely honest. And I thought that I would be, you know, traveling and singing and writing music and releasing albums. And while that's been a part of my story, it's like God was like, no, I have something so different for you and you're just gonna have to watch me unfold it before your eyes.
And so I started leading worship in a small church. When my husband and I got married, he was on staff there as well as the youth pastor. And what started as a very organic progression of training young people to be on the worship team just stirred and sparked this passion in my heart for the local church and for believers.
And so I just was faithful with what God put in front of me, but knowing that there was something so exciting and life giving as I was able to watch other people step into their calling in music and step into their passion, right?
And so these students would come to me or these other churches would come to me and say, hey, we have an intern. Can you help them on the worship team? Can you help them learn to play keys? Can you help them with their vocals? And that grew into coaching teams.
It was such an odd, organic thing because when you think of music and the music industry, it's very like, okay, you work really hard and you put yourself out there and you try to book, you know, events and whatever. And here I was having these churches reach out to me saying, will you train us? Will you train our students? Will you train our people?
And I was like, okay, so I'm going to take this step and I'm going to start, start doing that. And, and that's how Overflow Worship began. I didn't call it Overflow Worship then, but that's how it began.
And so after a few years of that, I really felt like God was saying, okay, I want you to call together all of these people that you have trained and I want you to reach out to other people who are, you know, prominent worship leaders and bring them in and have them help you teach and you're gonna have a conference. And I was like, okay, I was like this pregnant with number two. Like, it was just like, what? I don't even know the first thing about planning an event or conference. And there was something so special about that.
And before anybody listening thinks like, wow, this sounds like so perfect, it was not, it was not perfect at all. There were so many flaws and so many stressors and just a lot of unmet expectations and disappointments in that first event. But after we had that first conference and we brought together worship leaders and their whole teams, we said, hey, bring everybody. We're going to train everybody. We're going to have something for all of them. It was like something lit up inside of me and I was just like, this is the step I'm supposed to take right now. This is it.
And I've always had, like I said, a passion for music. And I've always been naturally inclined to teaching and like empowering other people. And so this was the Lord's way of being like, look what I did. I brought them together. And so that's, yeah, that's really how it started.
Merritt Onsa:
And I think it's so Interesting that people somehow knew enough about you and maybe worship at your church to even ask the question, you know, like, could you do this for us? And we talk a lot about just, you don't always notice the, the wheelhouse things, the things that you're really good at. But somebody else can say, oh, yeah, we're terrible at this, or, you know, or we're not equipped for this. But I see this person over here who really is naturally gifted. Yeah, it sounds like God just took that and provided opportunity and let you run with it.
Andrea:
Yeah. And it's interesting that you say that because it's exactly how I felt where, I mean, on one hand I felt very ill-equipped because a lot of these people reaching out to me were older than me or were more experienced than me. But like you said, they saw something. And also in my willingness to say, like, oh yeah, absolutely, I'll help. And it's only God that that word started to spread because I wasn't out there saying, like, I'm coaching, I was teaching private piano and voice lessons in my home and leading worship at my church. And so I knew a lot of people in the community, so I think it was just a natural thing that kind of happened, but it was only God to orchestrate all of that.
Merritt Onsa:
Yeah. And so today, I think you said it was 2014 when that first conference happened. So catch us up to where you are today with this dream.
Andrea:
Yeah, yeah. So like I said at the beginning, it's funny how it changes along the way. And I like to say that I've been super open-handed with it the whole time, but I haven't. You know, like we say over and over again, or at least I do. Like, Lord, I genuinely do want whatever you want, because I do. I really do. But then when we're met with these obstacles or opposition or changes, it really tests the grip that we have on things. And so from 2014 on, we had a conference every year.
And I had told the Lord, I said, I will do one. And then after the first one, I was like, oh no, we're going to do more than one of these. And so we continued to have conferences, which was such an amazing opportunity to see the local church in action and to get to be boots on the ground and meet all of these different leaders from different churches all over the Midwest and also really all over the country too, and just getting to hear their stories.
And so what, what grew as an in-person event then in 2020, actually before COVID, it's crazy. We already had it planned. We launched our online membership and so the beauty in that was that God had put that dream in my heart because I wanted to be able to reach more people. And there's only so far you can go, right, with your RV and, you know, meeting people in person. And I'm just one person.
I can't get everywhere all the time. But also just to open up the doors of being able to be online and the opportunities that opens up for connecting with more people. And so we started our online membership program for people who really wanted to have that bridge between the events, you know, to get to connect with other worship leaders, to get to have training. So it was courses and content and everything in there. And so that has been the focus. And we actually had our last conference in 2022. And then I felt like that chapter for a season was over. And so actually no 2023, so we had nine of them. And I felt like that chapter was over.
And so we really focused all online, on our online program and bringing new and newly positioned worship leaders in, like, how can we come alongside of these young or newly positioned people and help them with the foundations that they need in their churches? And how can we help them really feel equipped to be excellent with what they have, where they are?
And that is something that, you know, I've poured my heart and soul into. And then in 2024, we had a lot of different things happen where it's like, okay, the Lord is shifting something. I don't like it, but the Lord is shifting something. And there was even a few times, like over the last year that my husband said, like, you know, things, things are changing. And I was like, no, they're not.
Merritt Onsa:
Yeah, white-knuckling.
Andrea:
I know. And so, but when I finally slowed down long enough and really began to listen to the Lord and what he was saying, I looked back over the last, you know, 10 years of entrepreneurship, right? It's ministry, but it's an entrepreneur, you know, journey as well.
And I realized that all along the way, I mean, I am constantly coaching other entrepreneurs. We get, I get asked all the time. I just didn't even really think about it, but I get asked all the time of, like, what do you do in your business when this happens? Or how did you, you know, start this? And what, how do we integrate faith into our businesses when It's a, when it's, you know, not a church.
And God really was stirring in me that like, it's time for Overflow Worship to widen its lens to faith driven entrepreneurs and leaders. And that doesn't mean we don't have offerings for worship leaders anymore because we do still have our program. But it's like this beautiful shifting that God has been so kind to do slowly.
But I'm excited. So that's where the dream is now. And now that I'm settled in it and like loving it, I'm just so grateful because had he not allowed us to go through so many tense moments in 2024, I wouldn't be doing this today. I would still be white knuckling and struggling, but it wouldn't have led me to where I am.
Merritt Onsa:
Is self-doubt stealing your confidence?
Have you struggled to take any real action on your dream?
Do you question whether you’re even cut out for this work in the first place?
If any of that sounds familiar and you’re tired of the voice that tells you you’re not enough, I’ve written a free 7-day devotional called 7 Truths to Silence the Voice of Self-Doubt.
It’ll get you into God’s Word, connecting with Him, receiving the truth poured out over you and reminders that who He says you are is what’s actually true.
It’s the only antidote for this battle that not only threatens your confidence but keeps your gifts hidden from a world that desperately needs to see God’s redemptive hand working through you.
Each day of the devotional includes a verse, a short reflection, and a truth to hold onto when self-doubt shows up loud. Whether you’re feeling stuck, uncertain, or just in need of a fresh reminder of who you are in Christ—I made this for you.
You can grab the devotional at merrittonsa.com/devo. And if it encourages you, would you share it with another woman who might need it too?
Let’s not stay stuck in the lies—because we were made for so much more.
Okay, back to the show.
So what would you say then to the listener who is kind of seeing these two sides of your story, the what you thought it would be to what it became and then what it changed to, what would you say to help that person who's in the early stage, isn't sure where God's going to take it and even how she feels about where he might take it. How would you encourage her?
Andrea:
Yeah, yeah, I would just encourage you first that you're not alone. I have been her and am still her at so, you know, so often, so many times. So you're not alone. And I think sometimes, especially as women, we need to be reminded of that because we can get stuck inside of our heads that it's just me, you know, so that's the first thing.
And then the second thing I would say is take a step, take some action. Because there was so much about that first conference that, I mean, made no sense. We had no, we did not have the money to finance it. And the ticket sales were so low because I was trying to make it affordable, thinking I could offset with sponsors. We didn't get enough sponsors so like we foot the bill for a lot of it and we didn't have the money.
And so it's like there was this tension that I had to walk through that of like, okay, so if this doesn't work out the way I prayed it was, prayed it would, does that mean that I heard God wrong? And I don't believe that that's the case when we're fully surrendered to him. And so take action. Even if it doesn't work out the way you think it was going to, action is better than indecision. Right? Like doing something is better than just indecision and doing nothing.
And then the last thing is when you walk it out in action. Just walk in surrender, because it's going to take. And daily, sometimes daily surrender and asking the Lord, okay, what next? What do you have for me next? I'm going to be faithful in this and take these steps, but you gotta stop me, turn me, you know, shift me, because I'm just walking. Literally, I feel like, with a blindfold on. So I need you to give me the next step. So that's what I would say.
Merritt Onsa:
Would you say that that surrender has been the most difficult thing about pursuing this dream, or is there something else that was even more challenging?
Andrea:
Yeah, I would say. I think surrender was a part of it. But probably the harder thing for me was what I mentioned a minute ago about when prayers aren't answered the way that you prayed they would be. And then you sit back and you're like, okay, so was this not ordained by God? Was this not what he wanted?
And there were so many times throughout this journey where I prayed such specific prayers, and there were so many times that I saw, like, blatant miracles, right? Like, we're talking, okay, that, right there. There's no other way to qualify that other than a total miracle. So I've seen them, and I know that God does miracles.
I don't know why he chooses to, you know, do some here and not there. But I've struggled with the times where I've taken a huge leap of faith. Like, you know, the first conference, right? Like, footing the bill, and we were left in the hole. I'm just like, okay, this doesn't feel good. And it feels like I must have missed something along the way then. And I've just had to continually wrestle with that.
And that's where the surrender comes in of laying that down. Like, Lord, I trust that your ways are higher than my ways and that you see a million steps beyond what I see. And so, like, I'll give you an example. And this is actually, my husband and I have written a children's book about this because it was so impactful for our lives. But at the first conference, I had really prayed and believed that there would be 250 people there. Like, that's what we prepared for. That's what you know, and, like, that was a lot for a first conference. You know, looking back on it, I'm like, that's a lot of people.
And one week before I had to tell the catering how many people are going to be there. And my husband, he's like, well. I mean, I've told this story so many times, and it chokes me up every time. He goes, do you want to get to the other side and say that you played it safe, or do you want to swing for the fences? And I was like, well, I'm a swing for the fences kind of girl, but I'm freaking out because we don't have the money. And so I ordered 250 lunches. And we did not have 250 people there. We had, like 70 people there. And, you know, looking back on that, it was like, that's what I could handle.
Andrea:
But I'm still met with this. Like, what am I supposed to do with that? You know? But then on the other side of it, there was a church ministry at the hosting church that needed, like, 150 meals, like, for the next Sunday, for the next day. And we just were like, take them. Like, we were able to donate them. And so that story has impacted our family and so many other people because it took a leap of faith to provide for somebody else. I didn't get what I wanted, but it doesn't matter because he used me to perform a miracle for someone else.
And so I think that that's been a continual part of my journey of just revisiting that and being like, okay, it didn't work out the way I thought it would or how I prayed, but actually, I think it did. It did work out how I prayed because I prayed for his will to be done at the end of the day. And it was.
Merritt Onsa:
Yeah. Yeah. Hard to reconcile with, like, the planner, the this is the way I want it to be. But he knows. Yeah, he knows what was needed. And maybe you did need to swing for the fences.
I mean, it sounds like you did.
Andrea:
I did.
Merritt:
She prayed for God’s will…and isn’t that what we all want: God’s good and perfect will.
This was only part 1 of my conversation with Andrea so be sure to come on back next week for the final aspects of her story.
What a powerful reminder that God often reshapes our dreams as we walk with Him.
Andrea’s story shows us that even when prayers aren’t answered the way we hoped, God is still at work—through the disappointments, the detours, the things that didn’t go as planned.
And I want to translate this a little bit for you today.
Here’s a question for you to consider after listening to Andrea’s story:
Where might God be inviting you to loosen your grip and to trust Him with the outcome?
Because don’t you know that His plan is better than ours.
Take some time with that this week—and be sure to come back next week for part two where Andrea and I dig in to what it really looks like to trust God daily with a dream that’s still unfolding.
Finally….
Daughter of the King,
You were made for a beautiful purpose, your identity and security rest in Him, as does your dream because the Lord is good and His ways are always good! No weapon formed against you will prosper because you belong to Him.
Until next week, stay faithful, keep dreaming and remember: trusting God with your next step doesn’t mean it isn’t going to be scary. It means taking the step anyway. That’s what faith is.
You’re welcome here among women braving those scary steps in faith, knowing our dreams matter because they are His.
Until next time,
I’m Merritt Onsa, your dream coach and sister in Christ, walking by faith, with you, in the dream.
Have a great week!
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