My heart seems to be like a puzzle lately... Although there are parts of me that are wild with jagged edges, they have a place within the big picture. I learn more about myself each day, and I discover parts of me that were created so uniquely that I never knew existed... perhaps these depths of me hadn't been brought to the surface until now for a reason.
I describe myself as bold... sometimes confrontational, often loud, and never afraid to speak up for what I believe in. But these days, some of those characteristics have taken a backseat to a quiet tolerance... creating room for others to explore the freedom in finding themselves. Perhaps there are things about the world, about myself, about God that I haven't yet figured out or even stumbled upon... things that turn up like gold in places I didn't know existed.
I'm beginning to find my voice and my heart in relation to the feminist movement... determined to make the world a better and safer place for every woman on the planet. I get angry about oppression and I believe I am just as capable as the man next to me. I believe I am capable of speaking to the House or the Senate and writing and passing bills... I believe I am capable of creating an enterprise or an organization with fresh ideas and the guts to run with it... I believe I am capable of writing books and standing on stages and leading people... even men. In fact, I believe I was created to do those things. But I'm beginning to see the black and white contrast of life. Of course, I believe God created me with big plans in mind, and in my mind, those big plans looked a lot like the things I just listed. But as a woman, and a future wife, Jesus is revealing to me a new vision for my life... I am beginning to learn the vast responsibility and privilege Jesus entrusted me with. I am learning that Jared is the greatest gift I've been given on Earth, and it's my duty and my joy to be his helper... that my beauty is in contrast to his strength... that he will be the leader of our home, and that we will experience this life together... with him offering his insight and me offering mine. He is now my first priority, and it's my number one job to be his biggest fan and the wind in his sails; to respect him and honor him and to remind him that he's the man.
In all transparency, I'll admit there have been seasons in relationships where the idea of submission felt more like fear... I would think, "but I have a lot to offer..." and "Does this mean I have to walk away from my dreams to support his?" but let me tell you something I heard about a year ago...
Who you are and what God planned for you when He laid the foundation of the Earth has little to do with who you choose to be with. Don't misunderstand, He directs our steps and He leads us throughout this life... But I was created to go into the darkest parts of the world and set captives free through the truth of Jesus; to remind those girls that they were made for more; to breathe the life back into their bones. I know this is what Jesus had in mind when he made me, and it's okay that Jesus had something far different in mind when He created Jared. Just the same as Jared can't sit me down in his office and teach me all about engineering and pipelines and oil and gas and expect to turn me loose and watch me succeed, I can't take him to the middle of the Red Light District and expect him to get in there and be passionate about the issue... because we weren't created to be the exact same. We were created to complement each other and cheer for each other, to hope for the other to rise in all that we do, and to walk through the mountains and valleys side-by-side.
Maybe life isn't all that simple. Maybe we are all a little more complex than we think. I wonder what life would be like if we weren't afraid to test those limits; if we dared to contradict ourselves sometimes... to admit that we don't have all the answers; to say that girls can do all the same things as boys, and yet we can also be their beautiful, contrasting, counterpart.
Those puzzle pieces have their place in the big picture, and figuring out where they fit is part of the adventure. I'm ever-evolving and falling more in love with Jesus and wondering if perhaps He has more up his sleeve... maybe life is not all that black and white. Perhaps it's possible to be his number one cheerleader and still change the world. I know that it's possible, and I know that's what Jesus intended for us.
You were created for adventure. There will be seasons of chaos and heart break and confusion and you will need other people. You will feel pulled to certain things and your heart will break for causes that far exceed your reach and you'll wonder what you can do to make the world a little better. You can make the world better. Whether you're a mom, or an artist, or a congressman or woman, an attorney, a pastor, an engineer, a lobbyist, a hair stylist, a nurse, a football coach, a student, a teacher, a therapist, or all of those things at once... maybe life isn't black and white. Discover the wild pieces of your soul and be brave enough to explore them. Dare to push the limits... We need you around here.
I describe myself as bold... sometimes confrontational, often loud, and never afraid to speak up for what I believe in. But these days, some of those characteristics have taken a backseat to a quiet tolerance... creating room for others to explore the freedom in finding themselves. Perhaps there are things about the world, about myself, about God that I haven't yet figured out or even stumbled upon... things that turn up like gold in places I didn't know existed.
I'm beginning to find my voice and my heart in relation to the feminist movement... determined to make the world a better and safer place for every woman on the planet. I get angry about oppression and I believe I am just as capable as the man next to me. I believe I am capable of speaking to the House or the Senate and writing and passing bills... I believe I am capable of creating an enterprise or an organization with fresh ideas and the guts to run with it... I believe I am capable of writing books and standing on stages and leading people... even men. In fact, I believe I was created to do those things. But I'm beginning to see the black and white contrast of life. Of course, I believe God created me with big plans in mind, and in my mind, those big plans looked a lot like the things I just listed. But as a woman, and a future wife, Jesus is revealing to me a new vision for my life... I am beginning to learn the vast responsibility and privilege Jesus entrusted me with. I am learning that Jared is the greatest gift I've been given on Earth, and it's my duty and my joy to be his helper... that my beauty is in contrast to his strength... that he will be the leader of our home, and that we will experience this life together... with him offering his insight and me offering mine. He is now my first priority, and it's my number one job to be his biggest fan and the wind in his sails; to respect him and honor him and to remind him that he's the man.
In all transparency, I'll admit there have been seasons in relationships where the idea of submission felt more like fear... I would think, "but I have a lot to offer..." and "Does this mean I have to walk away from my dreams to support his?" but let me tell you something I heard about a year ago...
Who you are and what God planned for you when He laid the foundation of the Earth has little to do with who you choose to be with. Don't misunderstand, He directs our steps and He leads us throughout this life... But I was created to go into the darkest parts of the world and set captives free through the truth of Jesus; to remind those girls that they were made for more; to breathe the life back into their bones. I know this is what Jesus had in mind when he made me, and it's okay that Jesus had something far different in mind when He created Jared. Just the same as Jared can't sit me down in his office and teach me all about engineering and pipelines and oil and gas and expect to turn me loose and watch me succeed, I can't take him to the middle of the Red Light District and expect him to get in there and be passionate about the issue... because we weren't created to be the exact same. We were created to complement each other and cheer for each other, to hope for the other to rise in all that we do, and to walk through the mountains and valleys side-by-side.
Maybe life isn't all that simple. Maybe we are all a little more complex than we think. I wonder what life would be like if we weren't afraid to test those limits; if we dared to contradict ourselves sometimes... to admit that we don't have all the answers; to say that girls can do all the same things as boys, and yet we can also be their beautiful, contrasting, counterpart.
Those puzzle pieces have their place in the big picture, and figuring out where they fit is part of the adventure. I'm ever-evolving and falling more in love with Jesus and wondering if perhaps He has more up his sleeve... maybe life is not all that black and white. Perhaps it's possible to be his number one cheerleader and still change the world. I know that it's possible, and I know that's what Jesus intended for us.
You were created for adventure. There will be seasons of chaos and heart break and confusion and you will need other people. You will feel pulled to certain things and your heart will break for causes that far exceed your reach and you'll wonder what you can do to make the world a little better. You can make the world better. Whether you're a mom, or an artist, or a congressman or woman, an attorney, a pastor, an engineer, a lobbyist, a hair stylist, a nurse, a football coach, a student, a teacher, a therapist, or all of those things at once... maybe life isn't black and white. Discover the wild pieces of your soul and be brave enough to explore them. Dare to push the limits... We need you around here.
No comments:
Post a Comment