Last year was a vulnerable year for me with writing on this blog. Consequently my most vulnerable and hard to publish posts were also the ones that received the most responses. So even though theses were challenging posts for me last year, this time around I can post them quite easily. 🙂 This week I will re-post the two most responded to blog posts from 2013. Once again I hope you are encouraged and blessed…. Happy New Year everyone! I’m excited to see what God will do in 2014 as I chronicle the adventures God has in store for me (and my kiddos in India).
Note: I’ve gone back and forth whether or not to post this since it is very personal and also involves what another said but in the hopes that it will help or encourage one person…
We sat on the the bench side by side at my favorite park as the light turned all golden and we watched the turtles, imagining their conversation, and debated whether or not the duck was chubby or fluffy. And then we talked. It was a hard conversation anyways but then I saw it. As if time stopped and I could see the words coming out of his mouth. Unintentional daggers, like a movie slow motion shot, hung mid air ready to pierce me. “She said I could find lots of girls WAY better than you.” Even now I see the scene in my mind as an out of body experience. For one split nano second I wanted to jump to my defense but that feeling was instantly replaced by the realization that what had been said was true to some extent. He could find a girl way better than me. There are so many women who are more talented, beautiful, smart, accomplished, hardworking, and Jesus loving than I am. But also in that moment I graciously saw another picture come up in defense of the arrows aimed at me. I saw a shield put up in front of me. A shield ready to take all those arrows. I saw Jesus. And I knew that while there are women (and men) who are everything better than me or everything worse than me that it didn’t and it doesn’t matter. My identity isn’t in those things (i.e. beauty, intelligence, talent, determination, or even how well I love Jesus). My identity is set by the One who who whispers stars into dancing, dawns into song, and who spins planets like tops so well they never fall. The One who did all that declares that I am perfect, holy, and righteous, not because of what I have done but because of what he has done. When HE said, “It is finished!” it was. My identity may have been put to the test by those words spoken on the park bench but it doesn’t set my identity. I don’t have to listen to the lies spoken and the words that say I’m not good enough. You see Jesus already declared that I’m not good enough (my sin) when he had to die on a cross to rescue me! He has also spoken the most beautiful words over me and said, “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine.” (Isa. 43:1). It doesn’t matter what anyone else says or thinks about me. It doesn’t matter what anyone else says about you. You are a beautiful child of Christ made in his image and declared perfect because of what Jesus did for us. And if you haven’t put your faith in Christ alone as your Lord and Savior you can and he will declare the same precious words over you. Let’s walk confident. Let’s be the people Jesus has declared us to be.
I read this post when it was first published and it touched me deeply. Now I am rereading it and still feeling the impact. Thank you for being vulnerable, as frightening as it is to open up the most raw parts of yourself, that’s often when we grow, touch, and connect the most. Thank you again!
Grace, what a sweet gift of encouragement it is to me to hear you say that. Thank you! I’m so grateful God used it in your life in some small way.
I couldn’t have said it better, beautiful lady. Truly your seasoned, wise, appointed words are balms to the souls of many, and healing to many, and illuminating to many. I adore you and I”ve never even met you!
Oh Barbara you’re so sweet! I’m hardly deserving of your generous words but thank you for encouraging me and bringing a smile to my face. 🙂
Elaini,
Thank you for your encouraging words. That is such a great reminder of who we are and how we should react to situations like that. Thank you for your honesty and transparency!
Maddie, thank you so much for your encouraging words! Such a blessing to me. 🙂
What an encouraging post! One that I can relate to and one that gives me hope. Thank you, Elaini!
I’m so grateful it gives you hope. 🙂