I have huge feet. There I said it. I’m 5’9″ tall and wear a size 11 shoe. I’ve always been so embarrassed by the size of my feet. When I was little I was in ballet class (they were attempting to teach me some grace) and they had to place a special order for my ballet slippers because of course they did not carry my size. I desperately wanted to be petite, but couldn’t even come close. I was the personification of Olive Oil. Tall, skinny and clumsy.
The school put on a play about the circus and I was cast as the “tall lady.” I didn’t realize circus’ put tall people in the same categorie as lions, bears and bearded ladies. But apparently they did.
Did I mention my teeth, oh let’s just not go there today.
I wished that I could be someone else, just for a day…a small “normal” sized person with cute hair and a pretty smile.
I just wanted to wear my friend’s shoes, but heaven knows, they would not have fit. Even today I don’t have a girlfriend that I could exchange shoes with. If I tried, I’d look ridiculous and be very uncomfortable. I’d walk funny and be miserable by the end of the day. The only shoes that work for me are my own.
Just like walking around in shoes that don’t fit, I’ve tried walking around in someone else’s calling, and guess what? It doesn’t fit me. I see someone doing something that I think looks really exciting and I assume that I could step right into those shoes and do it too, only to find out that it’s uncomfortable, and awkward and doesn’t fit me at all. And at the end of the day, I’m pretty miserable.
What about you? Are you trying to walk around in someone else’s shoes?
God has uniquely called each one of us. We were created by Him, for Him, to bring Him glory and reflect His love in this world.
Ephesians 2:10 For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
It’s taken me many years to come to the place of being comfortable in my own skin. Not only physically but also my identity. Who am I….where am I going…what is my calling??
I still don’t have it all figured out, but I am content. I will walk the road God has in front of me and let Him figure out the “why” and “how” of things.
Identity is a complex thing. Am I what I do? Am I the hats I wear? Oh I hope not! These ARE all things that I do, but they don’t define who I am.
My bio says “wife, mom, speaker, writer and coffee drinker who loves the Lord.” The things that I do help others figure out who I might be…but truly, who I am is not a bunch of titles- thank God! Because what happens is, when life changes and the titles are gone (and I guarantee, titles will change or disappear) we’re left struggling to “find ourselves.”
I’ve been there. It’s a lonely scary place to be.
It forced me to search for who I was. In my searching I realized that I will never find my identity in a title or position, no matter how noble the cause.
Until I laid my life completely before Him and surrendered my will to His, I walked around as if in shoes that didn’t fit.
Colossians 3:1 Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. 3 For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is your[a] life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.
To get comfortable in this world, I had to hide my life in His and see my life in a much bigger perspective than I had been. I saw the small picture, He sees the big one. His is more accurate!
So, if the shoes you are wearing don’t fit, they might not be your shoes. Slide your feet and whole self into Him. Start with prayer, He promises that when we seek Him we will find Him. Start “finding yourself” by settling into His love for you, dare to believe that you are completely accepted and loved by Him and go from there. He has a wonderful plan for your life.
********
One more thing….the winner of the November Praise and Coffee is: Debbie at Love the Decor blog!!! Stop over and see her super-cute blog!!
Thanks to everyone who entered!! Your comments make my day 🙂
Comments