Life Is As Complicated As We Make It

I was talking with my daughter this past week; as I listened to her, I could hear myself in her voice. Not my tones and sounds, but the desparation, worry, frantic fight or flight mood in her words and character. I thought "by the grace of God, there goes I."
Saturday, May 5th, I went to a woman's conference titled "Revealing Your True Identity." It was an amazing coference, I walked away refreshed, renewed, released, and  ready to accomplish my next assignment from God.
Sunday morning, May 6th, God began showing me my assignment and I went to work on it, but it isn't finished. He has me on a journey to write about "Christ Centered Relationships." Now, my first thought was like Moses..."me Lord?, why me?"  Have you ever seen a movie where a man watches his life on a movie screen or television? He sees all the things he's ever done. This is similiar to what God showed me. We walked through my history of relationships. Not just my boyfriends, but all of my friendships including my family relationships.
God has not released me from researching and writing about it, however, he has released me to begin writing about it to you. May the words written here captivate you, change you, encourage you, and place a renewed spirit within you to modify your relationships.
At the conference we were asked "May I get real with you?" This is the question I ask of you..."May I get real with you?" Sometimes we get caught up with what we should say and act because of how others respond to us. We are caught up in how we should look because of what the world tells us. We are more concerned with how others make us feel than how we feel about ourselves. I just want to lay it all out, hold nothing back, and be true to my calling on my life for your sake.
Let's take a journey...
As children we are validated by what our parents tell us, call us by name, and do to us. A child that is trying to learn how to do something for the first time, ask his mom to instruct him on how. She shows him, but when he doesn't understand her, she gets upset, she calls him a name and does it for him herself.  then says to him "this is how you do it stupid, don't be so dumb." She validated him by the name she called him.
As we grow up we validate ourselves by what we wear. My friend growing up had glasses. I thought she looked really smart.  I didn't make good grades and had the idea that if I wore glasses too I would become smart. I went to my parents and lied about my vision, went to the eye doctor and lied on the eye examination. I came home with glasses and now I have to wear them all the time. My grades didn't get better and it didn't better my life.
As we get older and in high school we develop physically from the inside out. Boys begin to notice the girls and girls begin to notice the boys. Word on the street now is that this has changed, but this is for another entry on another day; stay tuned. We become validated by what others think of our looks, our attire, and our actions.  Most of the time, we believe we are ready for the adult life ready to make decisions like an adult about sex, drugs, and education. Most of us, if we were honest, wanted to be popular and accepted then in turn do whatever it took to be noticed.
This is probably where most of us might agree that our lives changed and not for the better, but for the difference.  We begin with..."If I did things different _______" OR   "If I would had only done ______ instead."  These terms shows we have regrets.
I desire to help someone else not make those same choices by sharing my life story with them. I desire that those that are caught up in a world of messes, might come to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ to make new and healthy choices. It is never too late to validate yourself by what another thinks and his name is Father God, Jesus Christ, Emmanuel, and called by many other names.  No he does not have a last name like you might have been taught.
No His name is above all names and he has something to say about you that is not just good by Great. He wants a relationship with you. This is where we truly begin our journey.
I don't know where He is leading me, but I am willing to follow and find out what He has to say to us.
Will you join me?  I hope you do.
Until next time, be encourage you don't have to be who others say you are. You don't have to be labeled by your actions and you can change from who you are to who you would like to be. It just takes courage and a desire to allow someone to help you.  I am here for you.

Be encouraged, you are righteously loved by a righeous and jealous God,
Marjorie