She loved........

I have done WAY too much thinking over the last couple of days. My brain is full, and I am so ready to write. I'll do my best to stay focused. The question was posed in a training session this week about what would we want our legacy to be after we are no longer here. Well I got two words out and then I just couldn't go there any more. Why couldn't I go there? because that's me. I knew in my head what I wanted to say, but there was a block that couldn't write any further. I also knew if I went there there was no amount of chocolate that could get me back to a happy place that day. It was just one of those days. The verse and song at the bottom of the blog were the inspiration of what started the writing. The two words I got out were She loved. In essence that encompasses so much. Too many times we live our lives for other people. Understand, that's different than serving. Living your life for other people the way I'm talking about means living to meet others expectations. Living a life of service means doing what you can to meet the needs of others. You are responsible for you. That means, how you react(regardless of what others do or say), what you do with the time you have, and the mark you leave on this earth. Living in your gift means doing what you love(and are good at!), regardless of what anyone thinks, what you feel, or what others do. God didn't call you to make a difference at the expense of losing yourself. I've been in the woodshed so to speak over the last couple of weeks on beating myself up. (Some of you are reading this going, she would never beat herself up, and others are just smiling). Yes I am harder on myself than ANYONE else, and I know it doesn't make Him happy. He made me the way I am and He is so tired of my apologizing for things that He considers gifts. Here's the visual I was given: Imagine you give someone a gift, one you find pretty special. You are over at their house one day, and you hear them complaining about that gift. Oh they like it, but they get frustrated using for one reason or another and apologize because it doesn't work like it should(in their eyes, because in reality it does). Follow me? How would you feel? God gave us gifts, He wired us a certain way, and has plans for us that only we can do. There are doors He wants to open for just YOU, but you have to start walking first. Quit apologizing for the gifts He gave you, open them up, and use them. NO they may not always work like you think they should, but ALL things work according to His plan. You are a piece to this puzzle called life and the puzzle is not complete with your piece. Live your life that way. Live Him each and every day, and He will take care of the rest. 1 Timothy 4:12, is a verse I have loved for years. Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young(that means YOU). You have ideas and gifts to offer at any age. God will take care of the words, but first you have to be willing to open your mouth.
Live it for Him,
Until next time,
~Melissa

 

1 Timothy 4:12

New International Version (NIV)

¹² Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity.