“See?
Me, to my besties
That’s why God can’t tell us NOTHING!
We become so hyper-focused on the ‘thing’, that we miss the beauty of the journey.”
That was the message that I texted my friends after realizing why so many relationships- familial, platonic, and romantic- had failed. God had shown me a SLIGHT glimpse of something that He had in store for me and I ran towards that glimpse, without understanding the full picture OR appreciating the steps in the journey that it took to get there.
Let me pause right here, Beloved, to be very honest with you. My last several posts have been written with love, as inspired by the Holy Spirit, but [apparently] they were incomplete truths. Yes, they were 100% from my limited perspective, but there was more that God had for each of them that I am just realizing today as I write this (and I am sure that my thought process will have evolved by the time you read this). I have realized that, in many areas of my life, I have been chasing titles, and missing relationships.
The Drive to Thrive is real!
I never noticed it, but at some point, I became consumed with acquiring titles and distinction. Never a money-chaser, but it was important to me to have a name that was known by others. Maybe, on some level, I was seeking validation from others or, maybe, I just wanted to be remembered in the hearts of people. I’m not entirely sure, but I know that for too long, it mattered greatly to me what others thought of me. Looking back, I struggled with fitting in and being accepted and, for me, that translated into acquiring titles.
Girlfriend
MPA
Auntie
Godmother
Teacher
MHFA Instructor
Ethics Integration Specialist
Author
Sister
Daughter
Store Manager
If people just knew who I was, they would receive me better, right??? Wrong! The irony of my title-chase is that I chased all of those titles, while running emphatically from the title that matters most- SERVANT. I hate to admit it, but it mattered to me so greatly what others thought about me! And, because it mattered so much, I wanted to accumulate every title possible… so that I could declare my worth to all.
Friend, I am truly ashamed to admit that. It hurt my heart to write that and hurts even still as I reflect on the truth of that revelation. Why do the opinions of others matter so much, when I was called to live for an audience of one?
“But God told me it would happen!”
Remember some time back when I shared that God speaks to me in my dreams? I told yall that because I am the most silent when I sleep, God uses that time to talk to me, uninterrupted. LOL, I’m trying to work on my daily silent time with Him. God has shown me so many beautiful things, revelations of what’s to come, and I have been chasing them with fervency. I have been chasing them so desperately that I have ignored anything that did not resemble those visions. But, here’s the issue with that…
Tunnel vision causes you to miss the bigger picture.
I was missing beautiful experiences with different people.
I was missing learning nuggets that come from others.
I was missing adventures in new places.
I was missing out.
Here’s the deal (my executive pastor says that all the time and I just love it; great way to summarize a message!): do not focus so much on the destination that you miss the journey. Yes, recognize the sound of God’s voice and understand that He has plans for your life. But also trust Him to guide your life towards that end goal.
Beloved, I really wish that I had all of the answers. I wish that when I sat down to write, God would reveal everything to me and that everything would make complete sense. Yet, I humbly realize that that is not possible. When God shows me a little, I do a lot. Too much, in fact. It’s as though I believe that it is my job to help God bring to fruition the promises that He has spoken over my life. The way that I chuckle when I say/type that. LOL! But I digress. God doesn’t need our help, He needs our faith in Him and belief in His plan.
As you read this today, it is my prayer that God would continue to work within you. I pray that He continues to remove anything that would distract you from Him and that the works of your hand would be pleasing to His heart. But more than anything, I pray that you would trust Him to see more than you can. We don’t need to know everything; we just need to know the God Who does.
The “little” that God gives- take it, praise God for it, and allow Him to multiply/build on it. Let’s not focus on titles or destinations, but simply enjoy the entire journey.
We are journey-bound.
Be blessed.
God Happened To ME Ministries, LLC 