First off. Can I just say how amazing our God is? I've had this blog planned since mid may and man it is perfect for this time we are in. Only He could orchestrate something this seamless and spot on.
Okay. Let's get to it. If you didn't catch part 1 on Instagram, go check it out! It introduces who I am, what The Soul Purpose Blog is, and a vision for a movement that can only be orchestrated and made real by the All Mighty.
Today we are focusing on DIFFERENCES. Mhmm. DIFFERENCES. I encounter girls of all ages every day talking about their differences. And honestly... not in a positive light. I see differences classified as weaknesses, down falls, flaws, less than, not equal, mistakes, and as things to hide. WHAT? When did the things that make you different qualify as negative inconveniences?
Difference does not mean defect.
Differences are powerful because they lead to telling your story. I'll never forget my first trip to New York City. It was also my first plane ride! I was a nervous wreck to fly, but I couldn't wait to get to the big city I had always been in love with. As we prepared for takeoff, the flight attendants began their normal routine of informing everyone on safety procedures. After they finished, the flight attendant at the front of the plane spoke through the microphone, "There will be no peanuts served on this plane due to someone having a severe peanut allergy. I'm sorry for the inconvenience." Guess what? I was that inconvenience, and I was MAD because something that I couldn't control and something I was born with was seen as an inconvenience and something negative. As I sat there, the thought of being an inconvenience really started to set in. I remember being angry because I couldn't change it, confused because I thought there had been a mistake in my make up, and then ALL the whispers from elementary to high school started flooding in.
"You're the reason I can't have my favorite snack"
"You're why we can't have peanut butter anymore"
"There's a kid going around saying he's going to rub peanut butter on everyone thats allergic"
Then, as we started to descend a man from across the row turned to me and said, "Man that must be hard. How do you go through life with an allergy so severe to something that could be anywhere and on any surface." In that moment. I knew that my deathly food allergy was for a higher purpose. Right there on that plane I got to share a small part of my testimony. I don't know that man, and I'm not sure of his background or if he even took to heart my words, but I do know I planted a seed for the kingdom.
Right there God started working on my heart and I started to realize how crucial the differences are that he made me with. I began to see my differences as tools of conversation and uniqueness. The thoughts that could have easily harmed the little self-esteem I had were put to rest by a man that spoke with respect and genuine concern towards my difference. True confidence sees differences and respects them. True confidence says that differences are powerful and lead to important conversations. With true confidence, we can proudly stand on the differences that were knitted into our make up.
Embrace the differences in you and in others. God placed them within you for His glory and for His story. Realize the beauty in your differences and share them with the world. Your differences play a part in your identity found in Christ. Your identity in Christ lead to your SOUL purpose.
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