What a wonderful piece of advice – a meme I copied – “You have never been in this exact moment so you don’t have to pretend like you know exactly what to do.”

TRUE

And often when I feel awkward or look silly or whatever – I wonder “Why Lord?” – “What Lord?” – and “How do I get out of this, Lord?”

That is what I felt like when I knocked something down at the dinner table – the FANCY dinner table – with new-to-me colleagues – and just that crazy inkling that I was supposed to be more FANCY than myself… Well….. NO…. and at least I didn’t knock over a drink or anything – maybe it was just my phone or something like silverware – see I don’t even remember – but no harm no foul except for 2 seconds of embarrassment.

You know what? God did NOT make us wonderful in His Image to stay embarrassed and worry about 2 seconds of embarrassment compared to a LIFETIME of just being ourselves… BE AUTHENTIC in everything you do…

“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” Romans 12:2

YES – If we can’t be ourselves (of course trying to be our best selves) then who should we be? Let us just be ourselves! It is our flaws that leads us to follows of Him, which God uses – AND it is our leaning on Him that God appreciates.

One thing that always interested me was that I was born to not be this person or that person – but born to be me!!! God is in charge of personalities – but we are in charge of SHINE best we can (and closing our mouth when we best)… 

Well, I am not always that person of shying away from talking – hardly never – but I have learned to lean in – to listen out – to pray purposefully. I thank the Lord for any new experience – and especially for ones that He leads me to…

Amen

“I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. How precious to me are your thoughts, God. How vast is the sum of them! Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand—when I awake, I am still with you.” Psalm 139:14-18

“Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.” 1 Peter 4:10