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About Brenda

September 9, 2009

The Days of Seeming Futility–part II

Filed under: Uncategorized — Brenda @ 7:15 pm

Aha! I have the rest of the story for a blog I did a few days ago—”The Days of Seeming Futility.” This morning God made it all very clear to me. I have been operating under a fallacy. I thought that if I started my side of the equation He would put the answer on the other side of the equal sign–My efforts + obedience = Success. 

But I have been totally misunderstanding God. The tension I experienced was in trying to do what God showed me to do and then measuring my obedience by the results I saw. However, Icannot plug God into an equation. Confidently living my calling (as mom, wife, friend, author, etc.) is not about measuring, calculating, or figuring to get a desired result. Living my calling is about daily doing what God gives me to do with excellence and then leaving the results to God. At the end of the day I want to be able to rest in this statement, “I walked with God and obeyed Him today.”

God gives us this as our goal in Ecclesiastes 12:12-13, “But regarding anything beyond this, dear friend, go easy. There’s no end to the publishing of books, and constant study wears you out so you’re no good for anything else. The last and final word is this: Fear God. Do what he tells you” (The Message)   In verse 13 the NIV states, “this is the whole duty of man.” That’s it. Simple. Sometimes not so easy.

Doesn’t this word from God make life so much simpler? “Fear God”–revere Him, honor Him with your life. “Do what He tells you”–be in relationship with Him, obey His commands and the instructions He gives us.  This is all He asks of us. Only God knows what will happen next. “So I saw that there is nothing better for a man than to enjoy his work, because that is his lot. For who can bring him to see what will happen after him?” (Ecclesiates 3:22, NIV).

So today I am not stressing if I am doing a good enough job as mom or writer. I am not stressing over getting ready for my friends coming here for Bible study tomorrow (even as I scrubbed the dog’s pee stain from the ivory dining room carpet). I am enjoying my work and my day. I am not listening to the call of anxiety, “You have so much to do in the next few days!” Nor do I hear the moan of,  ”What if all you do is not good enough and you fail?” In His Word God has told me none of this is my business. It’s His.

This is how I am confidently living my calling.

Have you believed you needed to produce a certain result in order to be considered faithful or obedient to God? Have you tried to work out the equation so you would get

~godly kids?

~a higher income?

~acceptance/love from others?

~response/results from your ministry?

What has God showed you about the fallacy trying to fit Him into your equation? I would love to hear about it.

September 2, 2009

College at Last

Filed under: Christian living,Confidence,Fighting Fear,New opportunites,adventure,confident living,discouragement,moms,next step in life,parenting,young adult children — Brenda @ 4:04 pm

Monday we took Kelsey to college. She was so ready. We carried in loads of stuff that used to be the guts of her room at home. Now it would be the guts of her room at college. Kelsey’s roommates were already there setting up the room. They were sweet, fun, welcoming, and helpful.

Kelsey and I took a break at the soda machine while Gene worked on the van (another story for another blog). She shared with me insecurities about being out of her league. The other girls know each other. They are from this city. They brought more stuff to share than I did.  Summed up–her insecurities were screaming–the other girls are different and superior in every way! (Please know these girls and everyone at Kels’ college was super kind and helpful.)

Have you ever been there? You took the next step to what God was calling you to and your insecurities piled on you like football players piling on a sacked quarterback. You can’t even come up for air because they are piling one on the other faster than you can identify and deal with each one.

My role in Kelsey’s life is now to be her coach (not her mommy), so I got down under the pile with her, and spoke into her face, “Kels, stay true to who you are, to what you have worked for. Don’t try to blend in. Be Kelsey.”

“Okay, Mom. You’re right.” I could see her absorbing this truth.

What about you? How do you need to stay true to who you are, to the person God made you to be and the call He put in you? Here are a few ideas to get you started:

  • Embrace your personality. This doesn’t mean you should let the weaknesses in you rule, but if you are outgoing let that work for you. Keep on reaching out, meeting people, and pursuing opportunities.  Don’t listen to your insecurities disguised as the voice of reason. If you are more of an introvert and reflective, use this to study others, evaluate the situation, and then move forward. 
  • Embrace your talents and gifts. Don’t deny them because you are the only one you know with them. God gave them to you specifically for a reason. Discover it and then use them.
  • Embrace your season of life. Don’t wish away your single years. Don’t think if only the kids were in school I would be more fulfilled and happy.  It’s not true. Regrets make miserable lifelong companions.
  • Embrace your financial situation. Don’t try to keep up with others (even friends) who have more financially. Don’t feel inferior because of your finances. God in His sovereignty has given each of us what He wants us to use. It means nothing more.  

When we embrace who God has made us to be and the purpose He has given us, we can confidently live the fabulous lives He planned for us and be a blessing to those around us.

Kelsey emailed last night. She is getting more comfortable and enjoying herself a bit more, too. What about you? How do you need to be true to who God made you to be? How are you embracing the fabulous life He has for you? I would love to hear about it.