Author: hcfwomen

Years ago I wrote a blog post about having faith in the gap, the gap being the wait time between when God says He will do something and when He does it. No one likes being in the gap, and no one likes it to be long.

But the gap is where we stand on God’s promises. It’s where His Word becomes our weapon, because it’s also where weariness and doubt like to creep in.

Sometimes, when we see a phrase like “having faith in the gap,” we might think that means working really hard to believe and declare verses back to God and keep at it until we’ve achieved some special status reserved for those really faith-filled Christians who then get their prayers answered by a God who is now pleased with the fullness of their faith.

And for some people (like me!), if that’s our mindset, then faith feels very hard, maybe even unattainable. So we either give up, or we drive ourselves to exhaustion with all our efforts to have faith.

Can I give you some good news?

That’s not what faith in the gap looks like at all. Faith—the very action of our belief and our trust in a good and holy God—was never meant to be a burden. It was never meant to be tiresome. And it was never meant to be measured by our performance.

Faith is a gift we receive from the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:9). It’s also a fruit of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22).

Do you remember when Jesus tells his disciples they can do nothing apart from him (John 15:5)?

If our faith is based on our performance, and if our performance is then what impresses God to make good on His promises, this becomes a system where we get some measure of credit for the work we did.

But isn’t that the exact opposite of the gospel message?

We’re told we’re saved by faith through grace, not by any works on our part (Ephesians 2:8). So, if we didn’t work to get saved, why would we associate faith with our performance?

And if we don’t perform faith, then what do we do? Or rather, what does it mean to have faith, particularly when we’re talking about that gap where we’re standing on God’s promises, waiting on Him to do the work that only He can do?

It helps me to think of my faith as being a trust or an assurance in the character of God, in his nature and his identity. My faith is less about what God can do, but rather, who God is.

Has he given us promises? Of course! And I absolutely recommend devouring God’s word, memorizing it, reciting it. But our faith is in the Promise Maker, not the promises. And we meditate on His word for our sake, not for our performance.

When we get that switched, we try to perform to make the promise happen. But when we rest assured that God is who He says He is, we can endure in the gap for as long as it takes.

One of the promises I stand on daily is “by his stripes, I am healed” (Isaiah 53:5; 1 Peter 2:24). When Jesus was wounded for my sake, when he died and was buried and resurrected again, he then exchanged my wounds, my pain for his healing.

In the natural, I have two chronic health conditions that I’d love to see God heal. I’ve asked many times. I’ve been prayed over many times. Have I seen those conditions healed? Nope, not yet. Do I believe? Absolutely!

I believe God’s Word is true, and as long as I’m in this gap, I’ll continue to have faith in a God who heals. That’s who He is. It’s who He’s always been. Whether He heals me today, tomorrow, or in Heaven, I rest with an assurance that He will make good on His promise. I don’t have to perform any rituals or strive or muster up some level of faith in order to receive something from Him. Instead, I choose to believe He is good and loving all the time. He knows all things and is intimately acquainted with me and my body. He heals in the way and in the time that brings Him the most glory. So be it!

We want to thank Laura Brandenburg for sharing this post.

I think the hardest question I’ve ever had to answer is, “Do you believe? “

Okay, I confess, sometimes I really struggle with that! God’s Word is full of His promises, and He’s never failed to keep every one of them! Remember the covenant He made with Abraham when He promised him a son (Genesis 17:15-27)?

God also promised that Abraham would be the Father of many nations. He made to Noah a promise that He would never flood the earth again, and gave a rainbow as a sign of His covenant, which we still see in the skies today. The promise Jesus made when He said He would return and take us home to be with Him! The Bible is full of His promises, 8,810 and counting!!

He is faithful, so why do I struggle to believe? The answer… I struggle sometimes to believe His promises are for me. Whenever I face a hardship, a life change, failed plans and dreams, tough conversations, trials and tragedy, my default is to panic and let fear consume me.

Not a very good way for a believer to react, right? I’m still learning. I know the truth, but more times than I care to admit, I find myself depending on my own strength. I’m so grateful that Abba is loving, patient, kind, gentle and willing to help me learn and grow. (1 Corinthians 13:4-8a, 13). I can’t count the times things have happened in my life that I fretted over and worried myself literally sick, just to look back and see that He promised to never leave me or forsake me, that He will always be with me. ( Deuteronomy 31: 6-8, Joshua 1: 5-9, Isaiah 41: 10-13)

His hand has been on my life from the moment I was conceived! I wasn’t always aware of His presence, but He was there. He’s with me now! And when I face things in my life, whatever it is, He gently reminds me that it’s going to be okay, I just need to let Him lead.

His promises are for all of us. I have been learning for the last few years, that I can truly trust Him as I grow in an even deeper relationship with Him. What God says He will do, He will do and I can count on Him. I just have to position myself to see things from His perspective.

Isaiah 55: 8-9 says, “My thoughts are not your thoughts, and My ways are not your ways”. He sees everything from the end to the beginning, so He’s not surprised at what’s going on in my life. He has good plans for all of us (Jeremiah 29:11). He has good plans for me, I just have to surrender everything to Him and trust that He knows what is best and that He will take care of me. Sometimes when I can’t see the end, I struggle to remember that. He is a faithful Father and He loves us dearly. If you question that or you struggle to believe how much He loves us, please read John 3:16-17. I’ve had to learn that God is going to “supply all of my needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:19)

I have nothing to fear. (Psalm 23) I could go on and on, but the truth is that in order for me to trust Abba and stand on His promises, I have to believe what He says!

Mark 9:24 says, “ I believe, but help my unbelief!” I’ve been hearing a song on Air 1 by Charity Gayle called, “I Believe”. There’s one line in that song that really resonates with me and helps bring things into proper prospective when I can’t see how what’s happening in my life is going to get better:

“Every word you speak is a promise that You keep…I believe.“

So, when you’re struggling with whatever life may be throwing at you or you can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel, hang onto those words!

All of His promises are Yes and Amen! (2 Corinthians 1:20)

We want to thank Janie Keller for sharing this post.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.  Proverbs 3:5 -6

This is a wonderful scripture with much promise.  But when you didn’t grow up in church, learning these scriptures, it was hard to understand.  I come from a broken home, alcohol and unrest was a large part of my childhood.  But one thing that my childhood did for me, after all the fear, I became a very strong-minded and determined person.  This can be a good thing or a bad thing.   For me, a lot of bad habits and ideas occurred in me.  I was very OCD, self-reliant and prideful.  This makes it hard to trust in anyone, the Lord included.  When I decided as a youth to attend church, my pride kept me from asking too many questions about the Bible . I guess you could say, I had a strong hunger for Jesus, but I wouldn’t get out of the way to learn about Him.

When we started attending Harvest, after attending other churches, I finally started learning about the Lord.  Sure, I had learned some from the previous churches and was growing some, but by the time I came here, I had been so rooted in my pride it felt natural for me.  I struggled with trusting in the Lord for anything.  I didn’t think He needed my problems, I could handle them on my own.  But God!

Here I am writing on Giving my battles to God.  I felt like I had to tell you some of my back story so you can understand how hard this is for me. I have finally come to the place where I can ask Him for His help.

Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.  Psalm 27:13 – 14

Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart. Psalm 37:4

One of the big times I learned to trust in Him was when we were getting older. We lived in a really nice home that He had given us, even though I probably didn’t ask, but it was big with acreage.  It was getting harder to take care of for us.  We were getting close to retiring and it was costly to live there.  I went to an estate sale at another home and felt that it was our home.  I couldn’t explain it but I felt at home.  After telling Dewitt about it, we went to see it and he was not interested.  I started seeking the Lord and His thoughts.  Dewitt wanted to see it again in about a week and we both prayed about it.  I would go on my lunch hour some days and sit in the driveway and talk to God about it.  Read His word and wait.  Yes, I said wait.  Hard for this get ‘er done girl to do. If you wait for what your heart desires, your treasure means more when you get it. But I was determined to let God be in control of this.  He made a way and we made a pretty easy move, except, on the day we had people coming to help us load. The buyers that were to purchase the house of the ones that were buying our home, backed out.  I freaked out, for a while, cried and asked why.  But then we prayed, I gave control back to God and asked Dewitt, what are we going to do.  He told me we would keep getting ready to move and God would work it out.  He did!  That’s another story for another time.

But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.  Matthew 6:33

Another time, we were in our reaching forward campaign at Harvest.  We were asked to pledge for our new building.  We prayed about this and filled out our pledge.  This was above our tithe. I was a girl that grew up so poor, MY money was important to me.  I had fought battles, with God sometimes, to get out of that spirit of poverty, but I let Him have control of this.  When we got our letter thanking us for our pledge, what was typed on there was WAY more than we thought we pledged, and I freaked out again.  We prayed about it and told the Lord that if that was what He wanted He would have to take care of it.  We had 3 years to fulfill our pledge and continue paying our tithe.  But God!  He/we paid it off early and had money in the bank like we had not had before.  God really showed us His love.  And even better, with the money we saved on moving to a new, nice, home.  We paid off all our debts and for the first time ever we were debt free.  I am not boasting about us I am boasting on the Lord. 

No matter where you are or what you need or want, let the Lord be in control, trust Him and He will take care of it.  I love Jeremiah 29:11, but have you noticed Jeremiah 29:13 ? “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”

We want to thank Debbie Crosby for sharing this post.

“No trial has overtaken you that is not faced by others.  And God is faithful: He will not let you be tried beyond what you are able to bear, but with the trial will also provide a way out so that you may be able to endure it.”  I Corinthians 13:13 NET

Some translations use the word tempted instead of the word tried.  A way out doesn’t always mean the person will escape the trial.  It may mean that God will assist you in walking through the trial to the other side.  And He doesn’t say you have to bear it alone.  Remember God is omnipresent and always with you.

There are multiple examples in the Bible where God supplies the courage and peace to endure difficult times and walks through the trial with the believer.  We see this with Daniel in the lion’s den; Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the fiery furnace; David and Goliath and many others.  

“But those who wait upon the LORD will renew their strength. They will mount up with wings as eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not faint.”  Isaiah 40:31

This sounds easy, but in reality when I am in a trial, I don’t always think of waiting for God first. However, I am getting better at this with experience. I tend to worry and try to come up with a plan on my own.  It sometimes isn’t until I see that I can’t handle the situation alone that I turn to God.  That is when I have to take time to BE STILL and KNOW THAT HE IS GOD, Psalm 46:10.  

Knowing we are safe in the assurance that He is God, we can wait on him even in chaos.  To be still in this verse means keep silent, to stop striving, stop fighting, relax, to put your hands down (don’t surrender to the enemy). Once we are still, we can become aware of the presence of God.  When God asks you to be still, He wants you to trust Him.  Trusting Him requires you to fully let go and trust His timing and ways.

I always mess things up when I try to take care of things on my own.  God gives us examples in His Word of His children trying to take things into their own hands as well.  Sarah decided not to wait on the LORD and let Abraham have a child with her handmaid.  We are still suffering the consequences of those actions today. 

Exodus 14:14 “The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still”. 

We all have battles to fight, and sometimes music helps me to remember to lay my battles at the feet of Jesus.  “This Is How I Fight My Battles” reminds me that calling on the name of Jesus is how to fight my battles, then watch what God can do. But, don’t forget the BE STILL part.

God’s plans don’t always coincide with ours, but His plans are always right. 

We want to thank Naomi Jones for sharing this post.

To the woman who is weary in battling, I get you. You have cried all the tears, screamed all the questions, and feel like you are fighting a losing war. I have spent many nights wishing sleep would come just so I could escape the battle I was fighting, even just for a moment, only to wake up and find that it was still there. Sore from sobbing, fighting, and worrying, I am writing to the woman who knows the battle she is fighting isn’t an easily won, short endeavor.  These battles are wars. Long and drawn out with the stakes higher than ever. Maybe it’s your health, kids, marriage, job, I don’t know what your battle is but I know that steadfastness in the battle produces a faith that is perfect and complete.

I don’t journal regularly but I find comfort in getting my thoughts on paper and writing down what I feel God is speaking to me. Recently, I was looking back in my journal reading some of my earlier entries hoping that it would have the answer to the woundings of my heart. The year prior I had written of an argument my husband and I had gotten into and at the end were three words I had written down that I felt God was pressing into me: pray, release, defend. Those three words have encouraged me more in this season of battling because they allowed me to take my eyes off the problems that threaten to take over and put them on the One who fights on my behalf.

“Pray without ceasing” 1 Thessalonians 5:17. Prayer allows you to surrender your battle. When you don’t know what to pray, pray that. Talking to God has the ability to transform your thoughts and emotions. When I first started giving my battles to God I prayed for the outcome I desired. I prayed that everything would work out for the good that I wanted. I prayed for others to be changed. However, through giving my battles consistently to God in prayer, He showed me my weaknesses and where my heart needed to trust in Him. I even started to feel inclined to pray for my enemies. Talk about a change of heart! Ephesians 6:12 “For we do not wrestle with flesh and blood but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the comic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.”

Releasing my expectations is one of the hardest parts of giving my battles to God. My control is a façade for a deep-rooted mistrust of God’s goodness and faithfulness in my life. By releasing my need for control I am also saying that whatever the outcome is God will be glorified. Surrender steadies my heart because it puts my hope and confidence in what God is able to do. Ephesians 3:20-21 “Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us,to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.”.

Lastly, we must defend our hearts against all anger, worry, deceit, and all else that comes against God. It is going to be easy to let a harsh word or disappointment wreck you. Proverbs 4:23 says “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” Guarding your heart looks like turning off social media when you feel comparison creep in, changing the type of music you listen to when you start to have thoughts that dishonor those in your home and around you, and it looks like not hanging out with people who only have negative things to say about others. You might not do this perfectly, but repent and turn your heart back to Go and you will find that it will produce fruit that helps you to keep trusting and resting in the goodness of God.

My sweet friend, your battle might not be won in a day or a week, but God has not stopped seeing you in the midst of your battle. He is ready to fight for you, all you have to do is pray, release, and defend.

We want to thank Savanna Rodriguez for sharing this post.

I am a fix-it person.  As a mom/Lolli, I want to “fix it” for my kids and grandkids. As a wife, I want to “fix-it” when things happen. In my profession, a big part of my job is to “fix it” and make it happen.  I am always working and dabbling with things – trying to fix them or make it better.  I’m sure many of you have the same “fix-it” syndrome!!  I wouldn’t say this is a bad thing, but it steers your focus inward to yourself instead of reaching outward to rely on someone else.

Through the years, I have learned that things and people are not mine for the “fixing” but they are God’s.  It’s been a hard lesson for me to learn but a very rewarding one.  When I give all of my problems to God, He is my “fix-it” person. Giving my “fix-it”things to God is more than half the battle. Once I succumb to the fact that I am not the right person for the job but that the battle belongs to God, then everything else falls into place. “For the Lord your God is he who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies, to give you the victory.” Deuteronomy 20:4.

God has given us the gifts and the power to make our lives easier. He has given us all that we need as humans – sound minds, helpful hands, and bodies.  But He has also given us something much more valuable – the Holy Spirit. We have thepower to do anything and everything that God can do! Receive that truth, live in that truth and worship God with that truth!“Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you.” Luke 10:19. He left that gift to us when He died on the cross and went to His glorious heavenly home.  Jesus told the disciples (and this applies to us) He will leave with them the spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him.  You know him, for he dwells with you and will be with you! John 14:16-17

Joy and hope and goodness comes from peace and worship withGod.  Choose peace instead of turmoil, joy instead of sorrow, faith instead of unbelief and love instead of fear.   God is always working for goodness for us. What then shall we say to these things? “If God is for us, who can be against us?” Romans 8:31. Our God wins!! Every time!

The battle is not ours — it is God’s. Yet, He still tells us to turn and face our hardship. We don’t run from it; we stand with our eyes toward the fear and the crumbling world around us. But then we wait and watch for our deliverance with faith. It is coming!  With our faith set on God who assures us of victory, He promises to be with us when we face our battles, whatever they are.

God fought our battles thousands of years ago and He won! We just need to receive that victory and give glory to God knowing that God has fought our battles, and God has won our battles. In Revelation 19:12, it states that Gods eyes are like a blazing fire, his mouth is a sharp sword, and His robe is blood red – fighting our last battle for us!! Hallelujah!  That’s the army I want on my side!

“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” Ephesians 6:12.

We want to thank Kim Street for sharing this post.

How ironic is it to say that much spiritual warfare went into a blog post about God’s rest? And yet, how often in the natural world does a powerful military ensure that peace resides? When rest is such a treasured commodity, it must be well guarded and fiercely protected. 

Against what? Against busy. Against complacency. Against the “good” that goes counter to God’s plan. Against a hard heart.

Hebrews 3-4 reminds believers of the Israelites not entering God’s rest due to hard hearts, hearts that “are always going astray” (Hebrews 3:10). They wandered the desert and died there rather than entering the promised land, the promised rest. Hebrews 3:12-13 counters “a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God” by compelling believers to “encourage one another daily…so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.” How grateful I am for friends, sisters-in-Christ, who respond to transparent, vulnerable brokenness with encouragement that prevents my heart from becoming hard and calloused from pain, from loss, from busy.

And then returning to irony, Hebrews 4:11 says, “Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest…” Effort for rest? Yes. A refrigerator-magnet-worthy verse follows. Hebrews 4:12 says, “For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword…it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” In context, this beautiful, frilly refrigerator verse seems painful aside from the precision of the word removing calluses from the heart keeping it supple. Like a surgeon conducting open-heart surgery, the word of God, exposes and discriminately discerns what is in our hearts.

This beautiful warfare to keep our hearts soft occurs in the greater context of entering the rest of God. We must make time to protect our time for rest. This, not from a religious works based rule, but out of a desire for relationship with the Father. Attending church from a religious perspective can lead to burn out, but entering God’s rest, lounging with Him, abiding with Him brings life and peace. 

God created and it was good and very good and the seventh day He rested. Shabbat, the word for when God rested after creation means to cease, to desist, to rest. Oftentimes, this rest comes not with the cessation of action, but with stopping anxious thoughts. This rest is not dependent upon circumstances. It’s about my soul being still in the presence of God. 

In conclusion, a poem:

In a world that values harsh realities, monstrous evils,

Our culture has so distorted truth that we no longer comprehend

Rest, work, ethics,

No longer value

Hope, dignity, life,

A job well-done.

With clouds of deception and the easy way out,

It becomes difficult to maintain sight on joy.

We can 

Celebrate

Joy in spite of pain

Treasure

Hope in the midst of fear

Abound with

Faith in the shadow of doubt

Exude 

Rest in the place of strife.

How do you draw 

Healing,

 Hope, 

Restoration,

Peace,

Rest,

Joy?

How do you articulate those abstractions when words fall short?

“He leads me beside quiet waters

He refreshes my soul.” Psalm 23:2-3

”Yes, my soul, find rest in God; my hope comes from him.“‭‭ Psalms‬ ‭62‬:‭5‬ ‭NIV‬‬

”Truly my soul finds rest in God; my salvation comes from him.“ ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭62‬:‭1‬ ‭NIV‬‬

”Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.“ ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭11‬:‭29‬ ‭NIV‬‬

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.“ Matthew‬ ‭11‬:‭28‬ ‭NIV‬‬

We want to thank Mary Coleman for sharing this post.

Trusting the Lord leads to finding rest in Him. It seems so simple, and yet it can be such a struggle. I often find myself getting overwhelmed with our schedule and letting stress creep up. It’s in these moments that I realize, I am not resting in Him, but trying to control my situation, and failing!

“He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, ‘He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust.’” Psalm 91:1-2

For years I tried to control my dating life, thinking I could make things work out on my own, deliberately ignoring the Lord’s promptings that He had something better planned. As I watched my friends and family members getting married, I became more frustrated. The Lord patiently waited and got a hold of my heart and asked me to trust Him to provide the desire He had placed there. I had to place my dream of being a wife in His hands and trust that He would fulfill his promise. When I finally surrendered to Him, I found immense peace and rest knowing He would provide, and that he heard my heart’s cry. It was so freeing, and I have wonderful memories from that season of my life when I truly rested in His promises.

When we found out my dad was sick, my entire being was overwhelmed at the news. It was so shocking. But by grace, the Lord took me by the hand and asked me to trust Him with this as well. He promised He would not leave us or forsake us, and He didn’t. We didn’t receive the answer to prayer that we desired, but He gave us peace in the middle of the battle. 

Fast forward to being a first-time Mom and lurching over to check on our baby girl every time she made a noise. We were already exhausted, but not sleeping from the added stress of “what ifs” was worse! The Lord gently reminded me that His love for our little girl was greater than ours would ever be. I could trust Him to watch over her so I could get sleep. It was refreshing to pray every night and give her back to Him. 

In every circumstance, we have a choice to let go and trust Him or try to do things our own way, which can let fear and anxiety creep inside. Whether it be our finances, marriages, friendships, sickness, parenting, or anything else, we can choose to trust Him and be free to rest. It is such a blessing and one we should cherish. 

May we all choose to put our trust in Him and find rest.

“From the end of the earth I will cry to You, when my heart is overwhelmed; Lead me to the rock that is higher than I. For You have been a shelter for me, a strong tower from the enemy. I will abide in Your tabernacle forever; I will trust in the shelter of Your wings.”
Psalm 61:2-4

We want to thank Christian Greer for sharing this post.

If I’m being honest, I have a hard time resting. Resting in the Lord, resting my body, resting my mind, resting in my life…my natural inclination is not resting. I am a business owner, a goat farmer, a wife, a friend, and, most consumingly, a mom of 4 kids. Currently, their ages are 5, 5, 5, and 3. We adopted the oldest 3 from foster care 4 years ago, and none of my kids are biologically related to each other. We are constantly talking about “first moms” and “first dads,” and then the baby of the family, who is biologically mine, has made up a “purple and brown” family, because she is confused why she doesn’t have another family out there like everyone else. I am running around putting out LITERAL FIRES – grass fire and barn fire – both set by my boys a few months ago. Between kids’ activities and just the chaos of having young kids, who has time to rest? By the time I put them in bed at night, I finally have alone time with my husband, Clay, so we can catch up on the day and connect.

When I picture me resting my body, I picture me crawling into my nicely made bed, tucking myself up under a big down comforter, surrounded by pillows, completely supported and comfortable. But what does it look like for me to rest in the Lord? I get the exact same mental picture, except I am crawling into my Father’s lap, exhausted from trying to carry more than I should have, weeping from the load of mommy-hood that has me worn down; my sweet Father, reaching down to help me into His lap, as He holds me and rubs my back.

“For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. In those days when you pray, I will listen. If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me.” Jeremiah 29:11-12

We want to thank Megan Hollis for sharing this post.

A common lie that I have allowed myself to believe is that I don’t have a place. For the majority of my life, I have felt like I don’t belong. In groups of conversation I often feel talked over, ignored, or pushed out of the circle. Sometimes I even think, “Lord what is wrong with me?” Everyone seems to have a circle of besties that throw parties for them and text them everyday just because… but what about me? Because of this lie, I have wasted a lot of my time trying to fit in. To feel loved, accepted, and invited. Doing whatever I could to feel like I was seen, not to be the center of attention, but just to actually feel wanted.

It wasn’t until very recently that I clearly heard the Lord say to me, “Daughter, you were never meant to fit in. I didn’t create you for that. I created you to be with Me.” That word is so fresh that it still brings tears to my eyes as I write this. 

The truth is, the desire to feel loved, accepted, wanted, and invited is something that can only be fulfilled by spending time with the Lord. He always meets us where we are, invites us in, and loves us with His abundant grace and mercy no matter how we show up. Not only that, but He chose us to be a people for His possession to proclaim the praises of the one who called us out of darkness into his marvelous light (1 Peter 2:9). 

Throughout the rest of that chapter in 1 Peter, it is obvious that we are not called to blend in with the world – we are born to stand out. Not just because we are each uniquely made, but because as God’s people we are called to abstain from sinful desires and conduct ourselves honorably (and I don’t know if you’ve looked around out there lately, but there’s not a lot of that going on).

Because of the truth of God’s Word and honest friends, I now understand that it is okay if I feel like I don’t have a place. Heck, this world isn’t even my permanent home (Hebrews 13:14)! I’ve learned to take a deep breath and recognize when those lies creep into my mind, and I seek His face because I know He desires a personal relationship with me. I wasn’t made to look like influencers on instagram or whatever else I’ve made up in my head. I no longer seek my identify from outside sources based on the approval of others, but deeply know that I am a daughter of the Most High. 

And guess what? You are too. Don’t get me wrong, I still have my moments and my hard days. I am learning to truly surrender my mind, will and emotions to Him so that I can truly live a life of love and peace. But ladies, allow yourself to bloom where you are planted. A flower doesn’t think of competing or comparing with the flower next to it, it just blooms. And every flower blooms in it’s very own time. Focus on the Son, and you will bloom no matter how many weeds may surround you. 

We want to thank Paige Keller for sharing this post.