I’m sure you don’t do this but sometimes I compare myself to others. I look at other writers, or speakers, or beautiful singers of song, or super athletic Spartan racers, and I think about how amazing they are.
From time to time I’ve even been heard to say, “I want to write, or speak, or sing, or be a crazy mud runner just like her!” Well, to be honest, maybe not the mud runner part even though I do admire my friends who do that!
In fact, that’s just the way the conversation went today with my friend Debbie, who is here visiting from Washington State. Debbie laughed out loud as I read her a blog post written by Karianne of Thistlewood Farms, in which she shared about her amazing hair day.
Kari is incredibly funny and she truly does have amazing hair, and pretty red lipstick, and she writes blog posts delectable enough to save and savor over a cup of coffee.
This is an IG picture of me with Karianne at the Allume conference last Fall where I somewhat accosted her in my excitement over seeing her in person.
Debbie (also one to be admired at www.debbiekitterman.com), quickly reminded me of the message at the She Speaks conference we attended last weekend. Comparing ourselves to others will only rob us of our joy. Speaker Shauna Niequist taught us that not only shouldn’t we try to be like others but that the most beautiful thing about each of us should be the person we are behind closed doors. Ouch!
Shauna also exhorted us with these words, “Don’t be the next anybody!” In other words, don’t strive to be that person you look up to and admire. Be yourself.
God has given each of us unique gifts and callings, and when we are walking out God’s plan for our lives we are NOT each other’s competition. The enemy of our souls is our competition.
Other “sticky statements” I came away with from the She Speaks conference were, “Don’t let the enemy tell you that you aren’t called or that you aren’t worthy,” – Micca Campbell.
“You cannot miss your season of ministry,” and “Your ‘Yes’ [to God] today unleashes God’s ‘Yes’ [to you] tomorrow.” – Whitney Capps. In other words, be obedient to the thing God asks you to do today and don’t try to make things happen outside of God’s timing.
In one of the main sessions speaker Suzie Eller spoke to us and gave us this question to ask ourselves, “Is my need to be known greater than the need before me?” Wow, right? Because if I am truly serving God it is never about me.
I love learning and writing and sharing the things I learn. I love sharing God’s story, and my story, all wrapped up together. Inner happiness comes from knowing that He has chosen me and that He has given me a plan and purpose that is for me alone.
Y’all have your own plans too because God says to those who serve Him, “I know the plans I have for you . . . plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jer. 29:11 NIV
Isn’t it great that we can thoroughly enjoy other gifted women and know that they are not a threat to what God has called us to do? There is always more power in teamwork than in going solo.
I hope y’all will take a minute to read Karianne’s POST and hear her amazing hair day story because, in her own words, “Us rock stars have to stick together.”
Just in case you were wondering, Debbie and I got to do a bit of antiquing while she was here with me this week and I got a killer deal on this beautiful set of antique dishes. I thought all this talk of amazing was the perfect place to throw them in.
Love, hugs, and gigantic blessings to you girlfriends,
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