You Are Made For It | And You Reflect It | LOVE | The Impact Of Your Life Will Create Ripples

At thirtysomething, I was still searching for significance. I was a wife and mother of two, homeschooling in a tiny town. My family of origin was over an hour away, and phones had plastic-coated spiral cords attached to the wall.


There was no internet, no smart phones, and many days I felt confined. 


I wondered what in the world I was here for.
The woman on the platform was shining light on our value and uniqueness.


And on God, our Master designer.


A few of us mamas had left our little people in the care of their dads to get a spiritual recharge. We were sitting in the evening session at a weekend retreat.


My friend Lisa was sitting to my right.


As the speaker went over God’s gift list, she expounding on the gifts of teaching, giving, faith, helping, overseeing, encouraging, speaking, wisdom, discernment, etc . . .


And I was leaning in, hoping to glimpse mine. [1 Corinthians 12:8-10]

The desire for significance is universal. We all have an ache, a deep longing and I believe we are created to thirst for it. And like all of our inner longings, it is meant to be fulfilled by our relationship with the One who’s image we bear. The Living Water.

When the speaker began to describe the gift of encouragement, Lisa leaned over to me, cupped her hand on the side of her mouth and said, “THAT one is definitely you.


Her affirming words penetrated into the depths of my soul.


The description of encouragement was resonating with me already, and then she cemented it there with her pronouncement of what she had observed in my life.


You might say her affirmation stoked a fire in me.


I’ve been considering the significance [there’s that word!] of Lisa being with me that weekend and affirming what she saw in me. She greatly impacted my life. And there are ripple effects from that one whispered sentence. The Lord has enabled me to encourage and build up many women with confidence that He had gifted me to do so.


I mentor five high school girls on Wednesday night, and last week I took them to the flower shop to purchase flowers for the planters at church. After getting them in planted, we still had a half an hour of time, so I drove them to the beach where I got a bit camera happy.


And they were happy too! [have you noticed high school girls love “silly”?]


Together we came up with this “LOVE” on the dock. What I didn’t realize until editing the photos was the reflection in the water. And my thoughts wandered  . . .


What if one of the five were missing? Would there still be LOVE? No, it would be incomplete.


And what would happen to the reflection if even one were missing? It would be incomplete.


Do you realize, that without YOU, the world around you would be incomplete?


Do you have the freedom in your soul – by knowing and trusting the LOVE of God for you?


You can and should from time to time – celebrate the wonder of YOU. It’s okay you know, as long as you give credit where credit is due. Credit should always go to the Master Artist whose image we bear. πŸ™‚


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