Pouring into Me

This morning I posted on Facebook an acknowledgement of being in an unpleasant and extremely uncomfortable place, knowing that it was for my good. I confirmed that I would grow from the process and thus, I embrace the process.

 

Quite often we feel like uncomfortable places serve as  a place or source of pain and therefore it must be "evil."  However, I see the opportunity in the place where I am right now. I see God pruning me and teaching me to see myself clearly outside of the noise in my head as well as outside sources that try to bring me to a lower thinking of my self-worth.

 

Yesterday, I enjoyed the awesome pleasure of listening to and learning from my Pastor, Randy Rainwater and my brothers and sisters in Christ at Grace New Hope, about value. We discovered that we often place our value in things instead of realizing God made us valuable from the time we were born. 

 

Not that I had not heard these words before, but yesterday, they resonated within my being. In that moment I decided that for as much as we give of ourselves in the ministry of family, community, church, in our jobs (or however we give); we must not allow our withdrawals to reduce us to a place of emptiness. Emptiness clutters our minds and clouds our vision of SELF. We begin to feed on lies of things such as; success and failure, rejection and pain, low times and high times, are our source of value.

 

So today, I pour back into myself first by asking God to renew my mind and cleanse my heart. Then I deposit powerful, positive WORDS into my mind by speaking out loud:

I am enough! I am valuable! I am useful! I am helpful! I am amazing! I am beautifully and wonderfully made! My Father loves me! I love me! I am deserving of love and I receive love from those around me! I represent love! I am right where I am supposed to be and that is enough for me!

Today, I encourage you to pour into YOURSELF FIRST! That is not a selfish act, in fact, it is an act of love for God, yourself, and others God calls you to serve.

Embrace the Pouring! Embrace self-love! Embrace Yourself!

I love you! Have a magnificent day!

Stacie J. Whitaker-Harris

Be Patient With Yourself!

 

"Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer"

(Romans 12:12)

 





 

How many times have you heard a friend, family member, co-worker, church member or even a Pastor make references to being patient? 

 

You have heard things like:

Be patient, God is with you.   

Be patient, love will find you.  

Be patient, the job you want will come.  

Be patient, your time of suffering will end.  

Be patient, you will win if you stay the course.  

Be patient, things will change. 

Be patient, you will grow up soon enough. (then you'll complain about being grown)  

Over the course of my life I have NOT always been patient in, through, or with the circumstances of my life. However, it is this same course (in my life) that paved the way for patience to grow in me. I used to run this race FAST, hoping to arrive at specific destinations or desired outcomes sooner rather than later. Quite often, I ran when I possibly should have walked and in the end, I succumb to crawling before I could walk again. 

 

I tried to hurry to complete college degrees which turned into an almost eighteen year journey (I am still in school).

 

I hurriedly pushed towards love and marriage which ended in abuse and eventually divorce.

I rushed into jobs, only to find no satisfaction and to learn those jobs did not match my career aspirations. I found myself empty and void of meaning and purpose because I thought if I did not accomplish my goals quickly that "slowly" meant I was a failure.

 

The act of being patient is one often talked about, but never really thoroughly examined, nor justified with adequate explanation of HOW to arrive at a state of patience.

 

According to Dictionary.com, the quality of being patient is an ability or willingness to suppress restlessness or annoyance when confronted with delay. It is the bearing of misfortune, or pain, without complaint, loss of temper, irritation or the like. It is quiet, steady perseverance; even-tempered care; diligence.

 

Physical, Spiritual, Mental, Financial, Academic, and Social progress requires constant self assessment (introspection / reflection) to see overall growth. 

 

Do not define yourself according to your circumstances, but rather, according to God's spoken word of who and whose you are! Know this; where you are now is not where you WERE in years past and it is not where you will BE in years to come! Be faithful in and through the processes of life.

 

Today, I encourage you to BE PATIENT WITH YOURSELF, knowing the race is not given to the swift but to the ones who endure until the end!

 

Embrace the race! Embrace YOU!

 

 

Sending Blessings of Love,

 

 

Stacie J. Whitaker-Harris