Overcoming Insecurity

-
When I decided to start blogging again, my mission statement was, "seeking transformation through authenticity." As I started this week, familiar whispers of insecurities began to resurface.  I perused the beautiful Easter pictures on Facebook and saw how many people "liked" everyone else's photos. Compared to my own pictures' status, I felt insignificant.  Knowing that this was no proper self-evaluation, I turned off the computer and went for a walk.  While I walked, God's grace poured over me.

In the crisp morning dew, a small wren munched a bug.  I was reminded of Matthew 6:26-27 which says, " 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?"  My concerns for popularity seemed quite trivial in comparison to the significance of God's love and provision for me.

I then listened to the melodious singing of the birds as I walked.  Each had a different chirp, but they filled the air with harmonic tones no instrument can mimic. The last time I went to Disney World, I noticed the piping of the birds while at Hollywood Studios.  I told my husband how it nice it was that you could hear the birds.  With a sly grin, he asked me to point out where a bird was.  Apparently, Disney knew the importance of birds singing for atmosphere and had a recording playing from a tree.  As I listened to the real birds on my walk, I was reminded of this experience with the point of: oftentimes significance is about enriching others so that your in your absence, your impact might be noticed.  The singing birds most likely went unnoticed until they were not present at the park.  Their sound enriched the environment, so it needed to be recreated.  In God's kingdom, our significance comes when we trust in Christ.  However, my goal as a disciple is to place my energy into things that will last, not by having my name in lights, but rather by hoping that my one day my absence will be felt by the impact I will have made.

My insecurity comes when I stray from thinking about things above and instead think about how people perceive me.  I must remember that the reason I breathe is because of my Creator.  The reason I write is a gift back to Him. If He desires others to participate in my form of worship to Him, may it be.  But in my moments of insecurity, I need to pause and think about the birds.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Remember When...

-
Image
Over the last several days, I have enjoyed nothing more than enjoying watching my children simply be children.  As they grow older, I know these days of childhood are fleeting.  They still enjoy playing in the hose, exploring outdoors, and using their imagination. The live life unhindered by the worries of the day. Not long ago, my parents found an old box of childhood memories.  In there, were drawings, doodles, and even writings I had crafted in my youth.  As I sifted through the pages, part of me longed for the simplicity of days past.  I used to hike down to a brook in the woods and sit for hours, watching the tadpoles swim and listening to the birds sing. I rode my bike in the neighborhood until suppertime, without a care in the world. Jesus calls us to live freely and to live without anxiety as many of us did when we were children. In Matthew 11:28, Jesus says, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." In a time when many of us h
Read more

My Bible Study with Mormons

-
Image
Three weeks ago, two Mormon girls knocked on my door and asked if I would like to watch a video about Easter.  I agreed.  After the video, I invited them inside to warm themselves from the cold.  We sat down and talked about life and faith.  At the end of the conversation, I asked if I could pray for them.  Before they left, they asked if they could come back next week and read Scripture with me.  I had told them that I had studied the New Testament in seminary. Last week, we read John 1 together.  We discussed how Jesus came to earth for the world in order to justify us for our sins.  I talked about the notions of truth, grace and freedom.  It was a wonderful time of fellowship.  The girls asked if they could come back the following week and discuss John 2.  I asked them if it would be ok if I made them lunch and they agreed. Today we met for the third week.  This time, we had all studied John 2 beforehand.  We discussed Jesus' wedding at Cana and then the cleansing of th
Read more

The Impact of Love

-
Image
Today, as I glanced through the hashtags of Twitter, I noticed the anger within the posts. Hearts are crying out for change and revolution. Many Christians implore action based on Christ's response to the moneychangers in the Court of the Gentiles at the temple. I read their pleas and heard their pain. I watched the marches on television yet wondered, "how does solidarity promote change?" As I reflected, read, and prayed, I remembered what most motivates change. Looking back on the passage of Jesus at the temple, I am reminded of several things. First Jesus was angry. The vendors had made the Court of the Gentiles an unfair market place. This outer courtyard was the only place where non-Jews could go to worship and commune with the One True God. Yet, Jewish merchants profited by turning it to a place where they converted secular coins into the Jewish currency necessary to pay the Temple tax, making them no better than tax collectors. Also required was
Read more