I don’t know who you are, or what your situation is, or what you are doing right now, but I have something to tell you:
As long as you are willing to learn and grow, you are exactly the person you are supposed to be, in the time you are supposed to be.
I have always loved the verse the that reads:
“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” (Romans 12:2)
But I always took it at face value, meaning that if I stay in God’s word and apply what I have learned, I would always become a better person. But I didn’t realize until recently that this was such a rigid way to look at this concept.
You see, God really knew what he was doing when he made us. He didn’t make us to be these stiff beings that walk along the straightest path from point A in life to point B. Yes, he did intend for us to follow natural paths (ie. childhood, growing up, getting married, starting a family) but he never intended for us to be cookie cutter versions of each other, or for us to strive to do what everyone else is doing to the T. This is what makes us get caught up in all the fads and elevate humans to a much higher standing than what they should ever have in our lives.
He also created us to use the experiences of our lives to mold us and shape us, transforming us into new versions of the people he created us to be, not just lessons smashed on top of each other. I like to visualize this as pieces of different colors of clay. Stacked on top of each other they may look nice, but you get a completely different color when these colors are mixed together.
The way this whole concept impacted me recently is actually during a bad week. I was anxious, depressed, and not feeling like I was doing enough of the things I should be doing. I was yearning for a time where I felt like I had things “more together” and I perceived myself as thriving. I slowly came to realize (after many words of affirmation and confirmation) that I was longing for a different me, and not giving credit to all the growing and mind-transforming I had done in the past few years to bring on this new set of challenges and rewards I was in the midst of now. Its like I was longing for a pretty shade of blue I used to be, but not realizing that I had some red mixed in along the way and I now had a gorgeous shade of purple.
All this to say. God has you where you are for a purpose, and he has equipped you perfectly for this season you are in. Enjoy it, even if you feel like the season sucks, I can 100% guarantee that you will look back and either say “wow, that was such a great season of life, I am so thankful that I was able to experience it” or “ugh, that season of life was horrid. But I know I learned so much and if I hadn’t experienced these things, I wouldn’t be the person I am today.”
Don’t sweat the small stuff.
Embrace and enjoy differences.
Don’t be afraid to be self-aware and celebrate the small revelations.
Don’t get hung up on what you don’t have and what could have been.
Just walk forward being open to learn and grow at all times.
