I'm gonna stop being 'just'

No, I'm not going to start cheating and lying to everyone - I promise!! 

This weekend I went to the women's retreat at Asbury called 'Designed to Shine' by Gracefull Ministries. It was an interesting weekend, filled with praise music, great conversations and games, and wonderful fellowship with my friends. I can't begin to tell you how much my church means to me and my family. It truly is our second home - and a true blessing each and every day!

But, I digress... back to the weekend. So, at the conference the speaker, Jerra, led us through a few personality inventories on a path that helped us discover our passions, our true purpose in life and how we could begin to get on a path that will help us fulfill that purpose. I was excited about the conference, because honestly, over the past few years I've struggled a lot with what my 'purpose' is. Once the fog of infertility and then the miracle (and again fog) of motherhood lifted, I found myself feeling like I needed to do more. Be more. I mean, I'm just a mom. Just a wife. Just a volunteer.  

Then Bennett started school and people started asking me 'What will you do?' and 'Are you going back to work?'.  Now I was just a mom whose kid is in school 8 hours a day. Still just a volunteer. Just a wife. Just...

So, as we sat there this weekend deconstructing our lives and trying to determine our purpose for being on this earth, I waited for the Aha! moment. For God to reveal to me how my life was going to change and how I was going to bring Him glory. And you know what I heard?  Nothing. So, I kept listening. You know what my passion is? Bennett. and Brad. and God. and scrapbooking. and photography. and Bible Study. and friends. (not all in that order!!) It's nothing extraordinary. It's not saving the world. Or being a missionary in Africa (although I would like to go there one day). Or starting a charity or becoming a speaker. Or even leading Sunday School class. So, as we went to get our lunch, I resigned myself to the fact that I would leave just as I came. Without a purpose. Well, without a revealed purpose.   

And then it came to me. Over the chicken tetrazzini and jello salad. 'Stop saying 'just'!' Stop saying 'just' a mom. 'Just' a wife. 'Just' a volunteer. 'Just' a member of a Bible Study. God has called me to those jobs. He's purposing me to raise a little boy to follow Him. He's using me to love Brad and hopefully show Bennett what a healthy marriage looks like. He's using me to bring Him glory as I volunteer in the school. He's fashioning me for big things. Maybe not big things in the world's eyes. Maybe not things that others will see as huge accomplishments, but they can still be things that can bring Him glory. And isn't that what it's all about?

Do you think of yourself as 'just' something?? I challenge you to stop being so 'just'. Be what you are - and do it the best that you can. Give God the glory and He will bless you beyond anything you can imagine. The things that matter to God aren't always the things that matter to the world. Actually, they are rarely the same. Who do I hope to please? The answer to that is simple. 

So, when you hear me say 'just', please tell me to knock it off. It won't be easy to change my thinking, but God will help me - and you can too :)