I'm Not Insulting You....I'm Describing You.

I saw this quote recently and was a bit taken aback or perhaps offended by it. It kept popping in my head for a few days so I decided to unpack it and figure out what it meant.

You can chose to read this in a few different ways:

• Through the eyes of hurt saying it to someone else
• Through the eyes of offense at it being said about you
• Through the eyes of revenge seeking to hurt
• Through the eyes of betrayal feeling wounded

There was no particular situation this week that this could attach itself to but still it sat in my head. I felt a nudge. How would people describe me? Would I be surprised by the descriptions? Was I doing what my Father was asking?

See, I know I fail him daily but I try with all that I am to see that which is before me and act according to His will and not mine. Sometimes I get it right, sometimes I falter and yet other times I still find the rebel within me walking away. What would people say?

I found this a beautiful challenge. Not a co-dependent need to please others but a challenge of self. How do I want others to describe me? To really describe the nature of God I want them to see within me. I want them to see the best of a heavenly Father that has saved and loved me regardless of my faults. I want them to see the hope and life I have because of His love! I want them to ask me about Him! I want them to not see me or describe me but to describe HIM WITHIN ME! So go ahead.....describe away!!!!

"Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth."1 John 3:18

PUT A (NEW) RING ON IT!

It's now been 14 months since I started this health journey. This Thanksgiving one of my wedding rings fell off my finger and was lost for a day. I realized how loose they were a week ago and was thinking I should have them adjusted...but of course time alluded me for that.

For years I have been blessed to serve God under an amazing leader who battled her own health journey and armed herself with all the knowledge of leading a healthy life. And yes, I have been listening and this entire time I have been getting healthy on the spiritual and emotional side and not really thinking about the physical side. Now this physical side has come into alignment once again.

The one thing I realized is that my self confidence has somehow failed me. Let me explain.
Being confident in who I am, who I want to be and who God has designed for me to be has never been an issue for me. However, because of this confidence I have somehow failed to see some very obvious things in front of me.

Funny how the thing that makes you strong actually makes you weak.

I can remember that during my entire life I have always been confident in who I was. Regardless of what size I wore I knew I could do anything I focused on and desired to. My confidence always attracted friends and always kept me at the top of my class. Now I can look back and see where this confidence actually failed me in other ways. I was asking my husband about what he thought of my confidence when we met and he admitted that he was attracted to me because I always knew who I was and what I wanted and where I was going. He wanted to go on that ride too! lol!

So, this confidence could have very much saved my life as a little girl, helped me cope, pushed me to be the best at school, made me look for challenges and led me to my dear husband. But at some point there comes a moment of inspection to see where this confidence can also make me weak and allow myself a moment of humility where I can grow.

I heard a trainer say "Pain is weakness leaving your body." I had to sit and chew on how profound this actually was. It reminded "For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control."  (2Timothy 1:7)

Maybe mine was just a bit misguided and lacking of self-control but the confidence came from God, grown through some pain and now living in a body filled with strength! Now if I can only get my rings adjusted.....or have my husband "PUT A RING ON IT' ....as an encore of course! ;)


Scriptures to lean on:

Psalm 27:3

Though an army encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; though war arise against me, yet I will be confident.

Joshua 1:9

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

ps... if Daddy wont... my son will! :)