My sweet, beautiful and talented friend, Allison from Speak Your Truth Quietly & Clearly, passed on the Liebster Award to me; or better yet, challenged me to answer five questions:
1. what has being a mother taught you?
Being a mother has taught me how great my need for Christ is. That without Him, I am nothing and can do nothing.
And grace. Sweet grace. I never fully grasped what grace meant or how much we need it before I had kids.
I have also learned that I am braver than I ever believed, have more patience than I thought possible and am fully capable of laying down *self* for others.
And one more, I like to play. Like, get dirty, roll around, be LOUD and make a mess kind of play. With kids, you can do all this without seeming "weird".
2. if you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?
This one had me stumped for a few days. My initial thought was, my weight. I need to lose weight. But, then as I began to ponder the question, I thought, "my answer really needs to be more profound". (that's just how I think.)
I mean, there's never really been a point in my life when I didn't want to lose at least some weight, so that one is boring.
....So I tucked this question in the back of mind and let it process.
This morning, it hit me. I wouldn't change anything about myself.
This certainly is not to imply I am perfect or that there isn't room for improvement growth. But the question is what would I change about myself.
Since finding my identity in Christ all those years ago, the truth is, I like myself just the way I am.
In the human realm, this is probably weird. But, oh well.
I have flaws quirks (I even considered listing many of them here, but I'll save that for another post.), but would I change any of it? No.
3. do you believe in "burning bridges?"
4. if you could advise your 20 year old self, what would you tell her?
I will answer in terms of people and/or relationships; No. I do not believe in "burning bridges". That's what giving/seeking mercy, grace and forgiveness are for.
Life is far too precious and short.
"Give your heart to Jesus, girl! Through Christ, you can do the hard stuff."
[I used to struggle with self-confidence. When I was young, I was incredibly shy. I struggled with anxiety, fear and self-confidence. For years, I just followed the crowd, trying to blend in and do what everyone else was doing. My lack of self-confidence made me very lazy and inconsistent. After awhile, that got old and the only thing I found was trouble and heartache.
Eventually, I gave my heart to Christ and began a new journey that I had to travel myself. Just me and Jesus.
Through Christ, I have found my true identity.]
5. who is your hero?
My Maw maw, Elva Butler.
She was an incredible woman of faith, love, and kindness. I still feel the warmth of her love even though she passed from this earth fourteen years ago. Her legacy lives on in the hearts of everyone who knew her. I remember the way she held and rocked me even when I was too big to be rocked. When she hugged you, she always held on a little longer than most. Her laugh...bubbly, belly shaking laughter. It was infectious. She was kind to EVERY.ONE. And no one left her presence without a smile. She was a devoted Christ-follower; she shared God's love with everyone. And she did it in a way that made you want to know Jesus more deeply. She prayed, whenever and wherever it was needed. She had a heart for the hurting and needy. She never hesitated to do what she could to help someone. Her Bible was worn and full of memories. She always carried candy in her purse.
I miss her and wish so much that she could have known and held my babies.
She is my hero.
