Tag: beauty

You Are Essential

You are needed here, no matter what you have done.

Let’s be honest. We’re all sick of that word, but it’s still there, used to distinguish between the people who “help” and who don’t.

But what if I told you that you are essential, just by being here?

Maybe you haven’t solved the most recent medical crisis or participated in a noteworthy act of kindness.

Maybe you forget to hold the door open or don’t smile at a kid waving at you. Maybe you don’t go the extra mile for others.

Maybe you’ve done things so terrible that your heart aches just thinking about them.

But what if I told you that even with all those things, you are still needed here?

It’s not a question. It’s really a statement.

You. Are. Needed. Here.

Why? Well, glad you asked.

Maybe you’ve messed up. Big time. But that doesn’t mean those choices have to dictate the rest of your life.

Today could be the day you step out and say:

I am worth it.

I do make an impact.

I can use the love I’ve felt to motive me to love others.

And maybe all those things feel like catchphrases that slip in one ear and out the other. Fake. Not in your heart. Mindless.

But what if simple, yet profound phrases actually sink deeper into your heart? What if you allow yourself to believe that those things are really true?

Today you can make a difference. You can reach out and see how that quiet friend is doing. You can bury your pride and check in on a relative. You can welcome rest and grace into all your relationships, including with yourself.

How can we live with such assurance of our purpose? Because we know that God made us for a reason. While things don’t always make sense, God has a greater plan, and will use our gifts for His glory. The little things you do each day will add up, and looking back, you’ll realize how many people you’ve helped.

But the best part is, the more you accept God’s love for you, the more that love will extend to others. That’s the most beautiful thing of all. ❤

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.

1 John 4:7-8

Through the Looking Glass

Do you stare at yourself in the mirror and wonder what’s missing?

The next time you look in the mirror, I hope you can remember, this isn’t the whole of who you are.

When you examine your reflection, wondering what could be better, wishing to be someone else, remember that you are only getting a snapshot of who you are.

Staring at old photographs, pondering old dreams, searching for something more, may you know that you were created for more, but you don’t have to become more than who you are in order to fulfill your purpose.

The mirror can lie. The mirror can boast. The mirror can tell us all sorts of things. But there is one thing the mirror cannot tell us.

It can’t tell us who we are inside.

We don’t have to be controlled by a mere reflection. A reflection that changes each day, curving and bending with each new angle or shard of glass. A reflection that isn’t at all who we were made to reflect.

We were made to reflect the One who loves perfectly, who loves us perfectly in fact. We were made to shine the light of our Savior, our Maker, our Helper.

We are made for greater things than worrying about our image. We are made for so much more than this meaningless swirl of doubts.

You, yes you, are here for a reason. So step back from the mirror or the photo or whatever is causing you to feel unworthy.

Open your love letter from God, reach out to the people who love you no matter what, and help where you are needed. There will always be a place for you. You will always be beautiful to God and to others who see you for everything you are. Nothing can ever change your purpose. Nothing. ❤

For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

1 Corinthians 13:12

Losing Sight of Beauty

Are you currently in a season of waiting? Here is some encouragement for the times when it feels like God isn’t working.

Do you ever get super excited about something? It might be a new opportunity or a relationship. But then, you find out you have to wait for it. You might be willing to wait a while, but the waiting grows longer…and longer. You’re tired of waiting. You’re tired of being patient. You begin to wonder why you were ever excited in the first place, even if the thing you’re excited about hasn’t changed.

I’ve had this happen to me countless times. Most recently, I got the opportunity to partner with a brand through my photography. I was so excited! This is what many photographers in my “line of work” (more like hobby) hope for, and essentially what I’ve been working towards for over four years.

When the company first reached out to me, I was ecstatic! I called my close friends, I barely resisted the urge to text everyone in my contacts. I was truly overjoyed.

But then…it took weeks for them to respond to me. Once they finally did, it took even longer before we could work out the details of the deal. They were kind and thoughtful, but it was still frustrating having to wait for everything to work out, not knowing if everything would eventually go through.

Then, when they shipped out the package with the merchandise for me to photograph, the package kept getting delayed. The latest it was supposed to come was 7 p.m. and it came close to 6:30 p.m.

But when I opened the front door, there were five GINORMOUS (I do mean that in the most literal sense) packages. I was so touched…and embarrassed I had been annoyed at the wait.

To be honest, during the waiting process, I struggled to find joy in the project. I no longer wanted to tell everyone and their neighbor. When my friends asked how things were going, I mumbled something about things probably not working out.

But then, it did. It worked out even better than I could’ve imagined. To say I was overwhelmed by their generosity is an understatement.

Seasons of waiting (often when they are for even bigger things than photography partnerships) can feel like the toughest times to draw close to God. We’re often impatient with Him, wondering why He isn’t “following through” with His promises. But the truth is, He is always working, even when we can’t see it. He has something much bigger in store for us if we can only wait. Often, His answers come in different shaped packages than we imagined, but they are better, more profound than anything we could ever hope for.

It’s easy to give up hoping when things aren’t happening at the speed we want them to. We lose sight of the beauty. The beauty in what we’re waiting for, the beauty in the world around us, in the little things. But most of all, the beauty that comes in a season of waiting.

God doesn’t waste the waiting, and He doesn’t want us to either. God often meets us in these uncomfortable places and teaches us everything we need for the next season of life. Often, the reason we have to wait is because we aren’t ready for what’s next. But if we allow God to work through every season, He will help us become ready for the things He has planned for us. He doesn’t promise to give us all we wish for, but rather what He desires for us.

You may wonder, “Why go through waiting periods if God isn’t planning on giving me what I want?”. Well, when we align our hearts with God’s, our deepest desire is for His will to be done. When we keep ourselves open to the unexpected opportunities God places in our path, we won’t feel quite so stuck. Instead, we will always have things to do for God’s kingdom.

Today, I hope you can revisit the part of your life you feel stuck in. I hope you can see that God is working through this season of waiting. And most of all, I pray that you can see the beauty in everything God is doing in you and through you.

Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.

Romans 12:12

The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him.

Lamentations 3:25

But as for me, I will look to the Lord. I will wait for the God of my salvation; my God will hear me.

Micah 7:7

What Do You Actually Want?

God doesn’t see us the way everyone else does.

Two posts in one day? Apparently yes!

My friends know I love good analogies, so hopefully this one suits your fancy!

I was watching my dog, Rocky, who I’ve talked about a few times on here. He basically attacks us while we are eating by jumping all around, barking, and scratching up our legs, unless we give him what he wants.

We decided to get him a can of dog food that he hasn’t had in a while to hopefully trick his sense of smell into thinking he was getting the same food as us.

He wagged his tail eagerly, waiting in anticipation, knowing exactly what he wanted…or so we thought.

The garbage bin usually sits out in the kitchen during dinner and is unfortunately just the right height for him to stick his little black nose into. After we opened the can and scooped out the food, we threw the can into the bin. Instead of running over to get the food, he raced to the trash to check out that can.

He was so focused on the outer wrapper that he didn’t pay attention to what was good for him, what was actually what he needed and wanted.

I think we can get distracted by the “wrapper” in life, too.

We see the fixings of a life that appears to be perfect. We see a person that has stunning looks. We see a memory or something we are clinging onto with rose colored glasses.

God gives and He takes away. He doesn’t want us to be so caught up in the wrapper; He wants us to go after the deeper meaning in life, in relationships, and in His call on our lives.

Don’t settle, whether it’s for a person, a job, or what you think you want out of life if it’s anything other than what God’s calling you to.

God knows what He’s doing. He’s the only one who can see the future. He’s the one who planned it! And He planned it with you in mind, the one He loves so very much.

When you see a person, don’t think about their appearance, give them a chance regardless of how they look. Treat everyone with God’s gentleness, grace, and kindness.

When you see an opportunity, think about if it’s what God wants you to do. Pray about it. Don’t just go for something because you are afraid of missing out. But at the same time, if you think God is calling you to do it, then go for it! Take that leap of faith!

God’s got your back, you don’t have to stress anymore.

After all, just like how we are striving to look deep inside everything in our lives, God sees deep inside of us. He isn’t ever distracted by the wrapper. He loves every part of you, and He knows that desire, the longing in the core of your being.

And I hope that desire is to be just like the One who sacrificed it all because of His unfailing love for us.

You’re worth so much more than you think.

For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.

1 Sammuel 16:7

Stuck

This morning, I was changing my daily calendar next to my bed, and I noticed an old clock that has been sitting there ever since we moved into this house. When I was a kid, I thought it was antique by the way the numbers are still Roman numerals and the clock is protected by a glass covering.

But the thing I noticed today was that the time had stopped working. The little second hand was ticking repeatedly between 11:27 and 11:28. This got me thinking a little bit.

I’m the sort of person who relives mistakes, embarrassing moments, and even good ones over and over again. That keeps me stuck between my 11:27 “past” and my 11:28 “future”. That isn’t a place where I can grow or move on.

Moving on is really hard. It means we have to let go of not only past mistakes, but past dreams. It means we have to be willing to face new challenges instead of harping on the old ones. It means we have to have the courage to say “yes” to God.

But I think that if we ask God for that courage, He will give it to us in a heartbeat.

Be gentle with yourself as you try to move on. Don’t rush the process, because then you will only have a temporary solution, not permanent peace and contentment. But be willing to take a look at what you do have in the present instead of worrying about what you missed out on in the past. That way, you won’t make that mistake again.

No matter how long it takes you to move on, you are not a lesser person for having doubts, making mistakes, or having trouble with change. Everyone is different, and when we compare ourselves, we will only feel worse about ourselves.

I may have shared this quote before, but it’s important.

The fastest way to ruin something beautiful is to compare it with something else.

Remember that you are a beautiful creation, and nothing you do or think can change that. You may not have been made for a specific person, situation, or opportunity. That’s okay. You were made for something even greater that needs YOU. Not the person you think is better looking, more successful, or more talented. The world needs you.

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.

Romans 8:18