Gracefully aging

In the past year God taught me to define my relationships.
He sent people my way with a word for me. I must admit, I have made awesome and purposeful connections in the past year.

I reconnected with someone I hadn’t seen in a while. This was no coincidence as I remember the conversation I had with her got me deep in thought.

We spoke on God’s greatness and His sustenance for His people. The question ‘Who am I?’ Popped up, Naturally, I am inclined to define myself using my names…aren’t we all?But her continued prodding made me realise that I am not my name. I would have been given a different name but remain authentically the same person. A rose, by any other name, would still smell the same! (Shakespeare in Romeo and Juliet)

The gist of this is that God already created you complete with everything you need for life and godliness. Before the names, you were already a complete being who could accomplish that which you were created for. You are created in His own image, therefore that makes you are a co-creator with Him.
You are because He is. But what you call yourself, so shall you be!

To know who I am and who God is in my life is crucial (“But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”)
Only you can define who God is for you and he becomes that! I desire to serve purpose as I grow older. I desire more of God and less of me. A year older means so much to me, but most importantly, that God has sustained me this far,He surely must have greater plans for me.

Looking back, time has really flown and with it came invaluable life lessons. Just the other day I was this young lass in my twenties rocking the scene. When did I become a wife? A mother? How did I find myself so fast? (As I look back at how fast time has past by, I cannot help but realise with every passing day, month, year.I have grown.

My 20s were easy! It’s my 30s that deserve credit for shaping me to be the person I am today. Always ready to learn, try new stuff and defy my age to to extraordinary things!
I guess adulting hadn’t hit me yet, in my 30s it has hit hard. my 30s have shaped me though.
I have grown in all aspects of my life.

But so that I don’t loose you with a convoluted story, here are some sound bites to rudiment on if you forget everything else
A couple of things I have learnt

Love yourself

I have learned to love and appreciate my self more. I am more gracious to myself amidst all my shortcomings. I am not superwoman to everyone but I am to some. And that’s enough. I recognise that God’s strength becomes evident in my weakness. I have accepted that without God I am nothing. I love me. My possessions, relationships, titles or names do not make me. In God’s eyes, I am invaluable just the way He made me.

Defining my culture

I have learnt to do and act in ways that please God, my creator. My culture is that which is in the Kingdom of God. I will not follow the herd for herd’s sake. I will do the right, honourable and Godly thing. I acknowledge that this will at times offend people but we’re well past that now.
I have learnt to accept one thing, as long as what I do aligns with God’s will for me….
I will not be confined to how people define things.
I have found my voice in my 30s, sad but people might get offended…but that is a choice they make.

Relationships

A most important ingredient in relationships is forgiveness but the spice in it is relevance. Some relationships are permanent but that doesn’t make them useful. Weeding out all draining, parasitic, one-way effort and baggage relationships is one thing I am doing. This act is mutually encouraged… If I don’t fit the bill, throw me in the till… For someone else to get me! When your season is over in a relationship, do yourself a favor, you might be holding the queue to your or someone else’s destiny. (can only work with
Forgiveness, but even with that some relationships are seasonal and that is ok. Not all relationships will work and that is ok,I have learnt to accept and move on. One thing that stands out, not everyone is meant for me.
The are people I know,but not all are meant to be on this journey with me…I have learnt to accept.

Fears

I have learnt to ignore Pressures from external sources, unrealistic expectations and silencing my fears and other people’s fears over my life unapologetically.
Most of the anxiety we suffer is through us allowing external forces to just show us how we are not enough, we are not yet there.
I have learnt to affirm myself even in the tiniest of milestones.
Each day is a chance to continue  finding myself,for God’s glory and purpose over my life. Because in him I am enough,I am complete.
I am who he says I am.

My prayer
Take my heart
And mold it
Take my mind
Transform it
Take my will
Conform it
To yours (Micah Stampley)
❤

TBC……