I'm sure I've mentioned here before that after my husband died, I joined the widow's support group at church. It is a great group and I met some of the kindest ladies on the planet there. They are all about twenty years older than I am and so I was the baby of the group, so to speak. They were so interested in my life and my children that I felt like the popular kid at school. LOL
They aren't a sad group, by any means. They love to party! They also study the Word and pray for each other. They are awesome.
But it has got to be the only small group where new membership is a sad thing!
Anyway, after attending for almost a year, I realized that I didn't belong there anymore. I thought I did because that was the label that fit. Then one of my sons reminded me that my whole life isn't defined by this one thing that happened. And he was right.
During the conference this past weekend, I was volunteering at the merch table one evening where one of our guest speakers was standing a few feet away, signing copies of her book and praying for women.
As I sat there, I was thinking that I should buy a book and get in line and have this incredible woman pray for me because I'm a widow.
And I felt the Lord put this question on my heart: "What does that have to do with anything?!"
WOAH!
It only does if I make it, right? It doesn't have to.
Then the message the next day, rocked my world when the speaker said:
"Don't wear your valley as a badge of honor."
Wow! How often do we do that?!
How often do I do that?
What have we let define us that we shouldn't?
Just because it is a part of our story, it doesn't mean that is WHO we are.
"I know you don't know this about me but I'm a ______ or I've been through ______." (insert your valley) As if we need special treatment or extra grace or more ministry.
So don't let ITmistakingly become your THING.
I don't plan to let widowhood be the thing that defines my life.
Actually, I'm desperately hoping the THING that defines my life is
JESUS!
~Becky
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