Today, Desirae Culp shares with us an important word on who we really are!!!
Be the gong ringer.
Sounds funny & was something I almost laughed with my friends about.
But then as I watched her sit on the sidelines (of a symphony if that’s possible) only standing to do her part, I realized I feel a lot like the gong player a lot of the time.
Over looked, sidelined, with a very small part to play.
Except her part is important & a lot of times I wonder if mine is.
Deep down I know it is. There’s a podcast with Emily Freeman & Christa Black from the IF gathering that I can’t get out of my head. In the last 2 min, Christa talks about the legacy she wants to leave behind. & it’s a surprising one to me. The legacy she wants to leave behind is that she wants to be known as someone who operates out of I John 4:19 -a person who operates out of how much she is loved – that everything she does flows from knowing she is the beloved.
Ladies – isn’t it time we operate out of love & stopped operating out of what other people think? Afraid of what other people will say? Paralyzed by our own expectations of ourselves?
We (ie. I) set this impossibly high standard & then are disappointed when I don’t “measure up” & assume that God & everyone else is disappointed in me too. THAT’S NOT TRUTH!!!
I’m doing a study in proverbs & one of the verses that has resonated says (basically) that lies last for a moment but truth lasts forever. (Pro 12:19)
Listen to me- I know I’m young in a lot of ways but I know this surer than I know my name. If we don’t come to a place of truth & vulnerability we will not walk in freedom. I’m not saying everyone you meet needs to know every single thing going on in your life, but I am saying that someone needs to. Christa also said secrecy breeds shame & I believe that to be true.
Let me speak some truth:
You are immeasurably loved.
You are created wholly & specifically the way you are,
You are delighted in!
You are treasured, You are fought for, You are worth so much more than I can tell you.
So as summer hits & the whole world goes crazy trying to fit everything into no set schedule whatsoever, take some time to find a friend, to have a glass of tea & get vulnerable with someone, to soak in being loved instead of being measured, & then LIVE that out because the world needs new creations that know they are beloved..
– Desirae
This is absolutely excellent, Desi! Way to go–love it, love it–and love you!
This is exactly what I’ve needed this week. Love that our God sends us words just when we need them most!
Beautiful!! Thank you, Desi, for speaking truth into our hearts. No matter our age, young, old or in-between, we all need truth spoken on a daily basis. You are loved, dear friend!!
Love this. I’m doing the Good Morning Girls book study on their new book ,You Are Loved. I have believed too many lies about God’s love all my life. He has has me on an incredible journey of discovery the last four years about His love and who He created me to be. Thank you for sharing.