I am in a season of new growth and as exciting as it is, it also means saying goodbye to parts of me. Some are good things, some are bad and others are maybe not the very best, but they are known and comfortable and it’s scary to let them go.
I’m not particularly good at change. Transitions are very clunky in my house. And walking into unknowns is at the bottom of my list of favorite things.
So this place I willingly stand today – seeing hope for new things but unsure of how to let go of the old with wisdom and integrity – is very uncomfortable.
But I believe in a God who is in control, who is faithful and kind and good. Who is with me and offers grace and forgiveness to cover over my failings. Who whispers truth and identity and when I listen and obey, it sounds like freedom.
So I’ll keep pressing on. Trusting, listening, obeying, wrestling, telling the truth, paying attention, ever hopeful that my honesty with you will help you find freedom, too. You are not alone and this hard work is good.
I am in this same place. Thank you for sharing your heart. May God hold us close as we strive to honor Him with our lives.
Amen
Hi Emily, Identity is such a hot topic right now. It’s hard to see the inspirational posters and journal covers every day that tell us we are responsible for making ourselves, rather than obediently living out the life God has given us. I’m reading a book right now that is so good and is all about this topic: You Who?: You Matter and How to Deal with It, by Rachel Jankovic. The author says that when she was a kid, she couldn’t decide if she wanted to be a missionary or a cheerleader, and somehow God has seen fit to make her both: reminding women of the power and claims of the Gospel, and cheering them on as they live out their identity as children of their loving Father. I think you’d like it.
That sounds like a book I would love! And yes, I totally agree with you about the trend of identity. We LOVE messages of “be true to yourself!” and “live your best life!” and while I agree with both of these on the surface, the only way I can know who I am is by knowing who God is, what He says of me and living from a place of worship – giving the gifts he’s given me back to him in a way that makes the world a better place.
You are walking the road that I so very much am trying as well. I struggle with ‘hearing’. Thanks for sharing