Own Your Life

If you have not heard of Sally Clarkson’s book “Own Your Life”, you must go look it up. Then, you must run and purchase it. I am not writing this because I am getting paid to, I am writing this because I am only to the third chapter and LOVE it. If you read my post yesterday, then you know exactly where my emotions are.. where my heart is.

Last night, I was really exhausted. I just wanted to go right to sleep, but something kept nagging me to read a chapter in the book. I gave in, and now I know that it was the Holy Spirit letting me know that there was something that was going to speak directly to me.

Sally was speaking about a time when she felt exactly like I was feeling. Sick of where she lived and what she was doing. She was frustrated by her lack of space and lack of friends. Sally was pregnant and hiding from her children while she silently prayed about her circumstances. I think chapter two was written just for me.

I felt convicted. I forced myself to write down ten things that I was thankful for yesterday. I struggled through it because while I wrote, my children were refusing to nap or just be still. There was screaming, door kicking, and crying happening all around me and I bitterly was thinking that I didn’t even want to be thankful for ANYTHING. I struggled. I am imperfect. I am still struggling with some of the thoughts that have been swirling in my head for over a year now. I am praying that God reveals his will to me.

Sally challenged me last night. She will never know what one chapter of her book has done for me. I need to OWN MY LIFE. I am here. I may hate Michigan with every fiber of my being because I hate the bitter cold winters stuck in a house that is so tiny that we trip over each other daily. However, I am here. THIS is where God has placed me. I need to own it. I need to step up and serve Him with my WHOLE heart right where he has planted my feet. I need to stop whining and being unhappy, because I am SO blessed. I tend to want to run away when things get hard. This is exactly what Sally was speaking about. She wanted out of her situation. She said something that penetrated my heart and was such a huge reminder that almost felt cruel, but it was the truth that I needed to hear. “..the very difficulties we want to escape can be overcome only when we face them head-on. Otherwise, they have a way of following us wherever we go. Not only that, but running away from them keeps us from growing stronger and eventually becoming heroes in our own story.”

This does not mean that I won’t struggle. It’s not like an overnight change will happen, and that’s ok. I am still growing and learning and being formed by the potter’s hands. This is all a beautiful part of my story. Sally said that God used that time in her life, and it has been a huge part of her ministry. I just want to quote her whole entire book in this blog post. But, I really think that every single woman needs Sally’s words. Whether you are a mother, a single woman, a widow, whatever. She will challenge and encourage you!

I know that Christ is the ultimate hero in my story, but I want to stop playing the victim.