Kickboxing. Knitting. Hiking. I am me. For better or worse. And you are you.
We were each created to be a unique piece of a much larger picture. It takes each of us to complete the plans of a loving and artistic Creator. God made me to be bold and passionate, to fight for the underdog and to be strong when others aren’t. I loved being a soldier, training and leading them, now being a mom, and doing what I can to make sure we all make it through the storms in one piece. To try to be anything else would be to deny what God created me to be, to deny His hand and work in my life.
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.
Was it always that way? No. Those strengths ran untamed for awhile, which got me into all sorts of jams. I had to spend some time learning who God is and who I am to Him. Before that, I wasted a lot of energy trying to be “not so”. Not so bold, not so daring, not so passionate, not so driven, not so whatever. Thank you to those out there that encouraged me. And tolerated me. However, there were a few that tried to control that passion; they ridiculed it and took advantage of it, enough so that I doubted my own self-worth, value, and emotional stability at times. I didn’t know how to be just like everyone else. When I tried, the result was confusion, anxiety, and insecurity. Confidence in my Creator has taught me to accept myself, all that He gave me, and do my best to honor Him with it. I might still sometimes apologize when I am assertive. I almost always feel the urge to, especially if I don’t want someone to be scared away by my strong personality, or cause anyone pain. How about you? Do you ever find yourself cringing at your own strengths?
What if we all had the courage to just be ourselves? Be brave or be bashful, but be ourselves. Own it. Be the one-of-a-kind that we each are. It’s refreshing and we balance each other. Each one of us is needed, in our own unique and beautiful way, to complete the purposes of the One who loved us first. 💛
You are not alone. Others have made it through hard times, and so will you. If you’ve found a way to accept and even enjoy yourself, will you tell us about it? It’s in our struggles that we really come to know God and know ourselves.
Your story can bring hope to someone today.
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