So I was reading this book and in it the author made a very simple, yet life changing statement. He said, “You bring glory to God by being you.” See I told you that it was simple. I also told you that it was impactful. I mean think about it, you bring maximum glory to God when you are 100% genuine, not a shell of who he created you to be. We spend some much of our time hiding different aspects of who we really are so that we can fit in no matter where we’re at. In the process we lose a lot of what would bring God glory. You weren’t made to fit in you were born to stand out. So why is that even with knowing this it is still a daily struggle for me to keep it 100? I still live a life full of compromise when it comes to being 100% me Why do I feel the need to change in order to be accepted when I am already accepted by the one that matters most?
I guess that it’s just the way that I’ve been conditioned by society. Nobody really wants to know the real you. They would prefer the watered down version of who you really are. The one that fits into their perfect little box of who you should be. Well today I have decided to break out of the box. I am not perfect now, nor will I ever be on this side of creation, but I can focus on being the perfect Kristin. The one that is super silly, and likes to laugh really loud. The one that sleeps with a teddy bear sometimes, and still loves to color in coloring books. The one that eats peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for dinner and that likes to swing really high on the swings. The Kristin Denise that is sometimes shy even while being very opinionated. That’s who God made me to be. I am most perfect when I am perfectly comfortable in my skin. That is when I bring Him true glory. At the point where I stop hiding and making it seem as if I believe that God made a mistake when he created me this way I am in the perfect position to point people in the direction of the freedom that can only be found in him. My freedom may help them to realize that freedom is really an option for them as well. It’s at this point where they might realize that they no longer have to surrender how they choose to live their life to popular opinion, but they can now become completely surrendered to God’s love. I mean if you have to surrender to something, you might as well surrender to the one thing that will set you free!
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Chasing After You
We spend so much of our lives chasing after something. As children we chase after our parents approval. As teens we chase after our peers acceptance. As students we chase after knowledge. Many young adults are chasing after careers or relationships. Some of us get so caught up in chasing after stuff that we fail to realize who’s chasing after us.
I’ve been extremely reflective over the last couple of day and I have been able to see that there have been so many times over my life where God was chasing after me trying to get my attention. However, me being the special person that I am, I have kept chasing after other things instead of turning around and jumping to His warm embrace. I’ve spent countless years chasing after acceptance, love, purpose, and validation and I’ve cried countless tears over my lack of success. It just seems so amazing to see that everything that I have ever wanted was chasing right behind me.
I truly thank God that HE was patient enough to wait on me to get it together. You see I always knew that there was something behind me, but for the longest time I thought that it was all of the stuff that I was trying to get away from. The past mistakes, the broken relationships, the low self-esteem, the thoughts of suicide, and all of the other things that I was trying to run far away from. The reality was that it was God chasing after me in an effort to save me from the very things that I was running from and trying to give me the things that I was chasing after. I just wouldn’t slow down long enough to figure it out.
Once I finally grew tired of running God captured my attention and soon enough my heart. Funny thing is that after he finally had me right where he wanted me he let me go. And that’s when I began my pursuit of him.
It kind of reminds me of a scene I saw in a park once. There was a father who playfully chased behind his daughter. He let her run, but he never allowed her to get to far out of his reach. As soon as she began to get tired he would scoop her up into his arms and hug and kiss and tickle her and then he would put her down and immediately she began to chase after him. It was like the loves that she felt in the moment that she was captured gave her the energy that she needed to go after Him to relive that feeling again. For them it was a continuous game of cat and mouse.
For God and I it’s the same thing, and that is why I will forever be chasing after him!
I’ve been extremely reflective over the last couple of day and I have been able to see that there have been so many times over my life where God was chasing after me trying to get my attention. However, me being the special person that I am, I have kept chasing after other things instead of turning around and jumping to His warm embrace. I’ve spent countless years chasing after acceptance, love, purpose, and validation and I’ve cried countless tears over my lack of success. It just seems so amazing to see that everything that I have ever wanted was chasing right behind me.
I truly thank God that HE was patient enough to wait on me to get it together. You see I always knew that there was something behind me, but for the longest time I thought that it was all of the stuff that I was trying to get away from. The past mistakes, the broken relationships, the low self-esteem, the thoughts of suicide, and all of the other things that I was trying to run far away from. The reality was that it was God chasing after me in an effort to save me from the very things that I was running from and trying to give me the things that I was chasing after. I just wouldn’t slow down long enough to figure it out.
Once I finally grew tired of running God captured my attention and soon enough my heart. Funny thing is that after he finally had me right where he wanted me he let me go. And that’s when I began my pursuit of him.
It kind of reminds me of a scene I saw in a park once. There was a father who playfully chased behind his daughter. He let her run, but he never allowed her to get to far out of his reach. As soon as she began to get tired he would scoop her up into his arms and hug and kiss and tickle her and then he would put her down and immediately she began to chase after him. It was like the loves that she felt in the moment that she was captured gave her the energy that she needed to go after Him to relive that feeling again. For them it was a continuous game of cat and mouse.
For God and I it’s the same thing, and that is why I will forever be chasing after him!
Monday, August 3, 2009
Crutches
So one night as I adult sat for my friend that had surgery a little over a week ago he introduced me to this HBO series called “Brave New Voices.” This show was so freaking awesome, as it had camera crews follow a few of the teams that would compete in the national youth poetry slam competition in DC. You saw their creativity, their inner struggle, and their heart as they wrote some of the most moving pieces that I have ever heard in my life.
One girl’s story touched me in particular. She was a young lady from New York that had Cerebral Palsy and a lot of what she wrote stemmed from what she dealt with as she went through life with this apparent limitation. The last piece that she performed in the slam competition was entitled crutches and in it she really shared how she felt about the way people treated her like she wasn’t there or like she was not intelligent and it was one of the most moving things I have ever, ever seen. What made it so phenomenal was the fact that you saw her journey to this moment. You saw her overcome the limitations that she had placed on herself as a result of her physical limitations. You saw her conquer low self-esteem, you saw her find her voice and move a step beyond finding her own to help others find theirs. She went from shy and timid to loud and outspoken! She really changed lives that day! She let go of the things that she thought she needed in order to be successful and found that she was so much more successful without them. Putting aside one crutch and her glasses, two things that she didn’t think she could make it without, she changed the lives of tons of people; those that were privileged enough to be at the competition, and those who have the privilege of witnessing it months later.
I’m crying right now as I relive that part of the show where she shared this phenomenal piece of inspiration. Where she encouraged people to really think about how they treated others and how they allowed others to treat them. She let them know that she didn’t have time to stand in the middle of road like a wounded animal waiting on them to get it together! It was amazing!!!!!! She touched a special place in everyone. There was not a dry eye around, because in that moment people could so identify with where she was coming from. Although most of them would never know the pain of a physical limitation, they understood what the mental ones could do and had been doing to them. She inspired them to let go of their crutches, whatever they may be through simply letting go of her own. She went from insecure to empowering and she changed so many lives because of it.
It really made me think. I had to ask myself, what crutches am I holding on to in my life, and whose life might be changed if I suddenly became brave enough to let them go as God helps me to realize that I really don’t need them. I challenge you to ask yourself that same question.
One girl’s story touched me in particular. She was a young lady from New York that had Cerebral Palsy and a lot of what she wrote stemmed from what she dealt with as she went through life with this apparent limitation. The last piece that she performed in the slam competition was entitled crutches and in it she really shared how she felt about the way people treated her like she wasn’t there or like she was not intelligent and it was one of the most moving things I have ever, ever seen. What made it so phenomenal was the fact that you saw her journey to this moment. You saw her overcome the limitations that she had placed on herself as a result of her physical limitations. You saw her conquer low self-esteem, you saw her find her voice and move a step beyond finding her own to help others find theirs. She went from shy and timid to loud and outspoken! She really changed lives that day! She let go of the things that she thought she needed in order to be successful and found that she was so much more successful without them. Putting aside one crutch and her glasses, two things that she didn’t think she could make it without, she changed the lives of tons of people; those that were privileged enough to be at the competition, and those who have the privilege of witnessing it months later.
I’m crying right now as I relive that part of the show where she shared this phenomenal piece of inspiration. Where she encouraged people to really think about how they treated others and how they allowed others to treat them. She let them know that she didn’t have time to stand in the middle of road like a wounded animal waiting on them to get it together! It was amazing!!!!!! She touched a special place in everyone. There was not a dry eye around, because in that moment people could so identify with where she was coming from. Although most of them would never know the pain of a physical limitation, they understood what the mental ones could do and had been doing to them. She inspired them to let go of their crutches, whatever they may be through simply letting go of her own. She went from insecure to empowering and she changed so many lives because of it.
It really made me think. I had to ask myself, what crutches am I holding on to in my life, and whose life might be changed if I suddenly became brave enough to let them go as God helps me to realize that I really don’t need them. I challenge you to ask yourself that same question.
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