I put my baby on the school bus for the first time a couple
days ago. Well, let me clarify, I did not set a car carrier with a baby
strapped in it inside a school bus. I said goodbye to my youngest child, my baby. She went off and joined her
older sisters at elementary school. Which
leaves this stay at home momma alone for hours each day. (Is it possible to do
a fist bump and cry and dance for joy all at the same time?!)
The most asked question I have received this past summer
was, “What are you going to do ALL DAY?!?!?” There are things on my to-do list
that I’m surely looking forward to checking off. But once that is done, I have no idea what
I’ll be doing. And you know what? That’s
ok. Oh sure, I have some grand plans to clean and organize (and don’t tell my
kids but I am purging their junk while they are off at school). There are some things that I love to do that
I now have more kid-free time to focus on (oh hi there blog!). And there are a
few dreams I have too. Some are just
tiny seeds right now that God has planted in my heart. Others are much closer, some even close
enough to touch. I am entering a new season in life, for sure. Am I scared? Am
I nervous? Nope.
I’ll share my secret with you as to why. The best way to walk into a new season in
life is... Know WHO you are, WHOSE you are, and to PRAY. Didn’t Jimmie Lee do such a great job in her
last post The Be Yourself Challenge, challenging us to be ourselves (#thebeyourselfchallenge)?! I know for me, it was a great reminder that I
need to be who God created me to be. I
need to hold onto this especially as I enter into this new time in my life. I
can’t be looking at how other moms spend their days or what other ladies are up
to. It would do me no good to waste hours being envious of one person’s
appearance, exercise habits, Instagram pics, etc. I have to be at ease with the
woman God created me to be. So just who
is that?!
I am Marcy. I love Jesus, my
husband, my daughters, coffee, and staying up way too late. I love writing; it allows me to share my
heart using words on a screen when they sometimes just can’t make it out of my
mouth. I enjoy reading books with paper pages (ok, Kindles are cool too). I am
an introvert with extrovert daydreams.
The smell of lumber and office supplies makes me giddy. A vast amount of pop culture trivia fills my
brain and not enough math facts. I am loyal and trustworthy. I love the simple things and have always
wanted to be a “country girl”, just don’t take away my WiFi. I feel all the
feels – I can easily put myself in someone’s shoes and see life from their
perspective. Chocolate is my favorite and I am a firm believer that the inventor
of cream cheese is a genius! Small talk is difficult for me but I can talk with
a trusted friend for hours. My passion is to share with women the life changing
power of Jesus Christ and to point their hearts to Him!
Knowing who I am allows me to move confidently into this new
season. I’m not running around trying to
be like this, that, or the other. I have
learned to enjoy and embrace who I am because I love my Creator and I know He
loves me! I trust Him and I know that He
does not make mistakes. His Word tells me that He made me and that I am
wonderful – just as I am.
“Your hands made me
and formed me.” Psalm 119:73a (NIV)
“I praise you because
I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full
well.” Psalm 139:14 (NIV)
I could beat myself up over not being like so and so. Perhaps maybe try hard to drink more
smoothies and less lattes. But I would
be miserable. (Side note, I cannot
understand those green smoothies y’all.
More power to you if that’s your jam! You go on with your healthy
choices girl!) I could put so much energy and effort into being like someone
else or trying to fulfill the world’s expectations of me. But by doing that, I would be taking my eyes
of off God and what He is doing. It
would be like getting ready to go on a hike in the forest without a compass,
wearing someone else’s flip flops, while it is raining. What could be worse than
entering unknown territory while feeling unhappy, confused, and exhausted?
To make things even worse, what if I didn’t know to WHOM I
belonged? How could I even start on a
new path if I did know that I am loved
no matter what, whether I succeed or fail? How could I gaze upon new
uncharted waters without knowing that as I wade out into them, the waves will
not overtake me because I am anchored? How can I possibly rest in who I am if I
don’t know that He delights in me – just as I am? I can’t. You can’t.
Ladies, let’s never lose sight that we belong to an amazing God. Here’s just a little reminder for you (and
me) about the God to whom we belong:
We are holy and dearly loved by
God. (Col. 3:12)
We are His workmanship. (Eph. 2:10)
He
delights in us. (Zeph. 3:17)
He chose us. (1 Peter 2:9-10)
He is working all things together
for our good. (Rom. 8:28)
He has great and precious promises
for us. (2 Peter 1:4)
When we know who
we are and whose we are, we can
approach the throne of God with full confidence, asking for His will to be done
in our lives. That is why prayer is
vital. Prayer opens up your heart to
receive from God not only wisdom and understanding for today but it allows Him
to place dreams in your heart for the future! You wouldn’t go up to some stranger on the
street and ask, “Hey, do you think I should go work here or do something else
instead?” No! But you may ask someone close to you, perhaps a trusted friend,
“Listen, I’m thinking about doing such and such. What are your thoughts?” So why not turn to
God in prayer? He is our most trusted friend right?! Seek out what His will is
for you. Ask Him to reveal His plans for
you. That’s what I have been doing. Has God revealed it all to me? Has He laid it
all out like a beautiful straight line showing Point A to Point B? Ha, no, not
quite. But that’s ok – He’s given me what I need to know for right now. And whatever He has in store for the future,
I know that will be good too!
“Call to me and I will
answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.”
Jeremiah 33:3 (NIV)
Ladies, I am walking in to this new season with joy and not
fear. I am placing one foot ahead of the
other, with my gaze fixed straight ahead (Prov. 4:25). I don’t know exactly what lies down the road
but I am EXCITED! I am comfortable with who I am, not because I “have it all
together” or think I am some super, awesome, perfect person. I’m not.
I can be at ease because God has opened my eyes to the talents and
personality traits that He has given me that are unique to how He created me. There’s only one Marcy and I’m it! I
know WHO I am. I am a daughter of the
one, true King! (And just to let you in on a little secret, in Him, His
daughters find favor and blessings!) I am not anxious because I know the
character and promises of the One to WHOM I belong. His love for me is true and everlasting. And I know He has amazing plans for me!
“I know what I’m
doing. I have it all planned out—plans to take care of you, not abandon you,
plans to give you the future you hope for.” Jeremiah 29:11 (MSG)
Ladies, are you embarking on a new season in life too? Maybe you just sent your youngest off to
college or down the aisle. Maybe you just began school or perhaps are trying to
decide what to do with your career. Have
you just ended a relationship or are facing some tough challenges ahead? We can
walk into these new seasons with confidence, covered in God’s grace. Remember WHO you are and if you have
forgotten, ask Jesus to remind you. Ask
Him to show you what your gifts are and what makes you, YOU! Recall to WHOM you
belong. When you have doubts, re-read
the Scriptures I listed above and prayerfully ask God to reveal His heart for
you. And in every situation PRAY. Draw
near to God and He will draw near to you!
Post by: Marcy Gates
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