Do you have any self-imposed boxes that you feel like you
have to fit into; and when you don’t, you beat yourself up and tell yourself
that you just weren't cut out this this? I didn't think that I had any until
tonight.
I am a maverick! I am different, and I like being
different – or do I?
I know that I always question the role that God has for
my life. I am not your typical “Pastor’s Wife”. I don’t sing in the choir; I
don’t play the bells or the piano; I am not meek or quiet; I am not artistic
(my 4-year-old is a better painter that I am); I have no decorating skills; I
am not very girly (though I do love purple and pink); I am just not what you
think of when you think “Pastor’s Wife”.
I wonder, how am I going to have an impact on women’s
lives? How is God going to use me for Kingdom purposes? I am not a dynamic
Bible Study teacher – I hold my own, kind of, but dynamic to the point of drawing
an audience of thousands I am not. I am not a very good writer. It takes me
forever to get my thoughts congruent enough for someone to follow my thought
process and story. I am not very humorous in my writing, and I am not
consistent. I will make a blog post and then a year later vow to do better only
to leave my blog empty for another year. All of the “good pastor’s wives, the
good women’s ministry leaders” they have everything that I don’t have. They
have dynamic testimonies. They have drama in their pasts that others can relate
to. I am just – plain. How can God use plain old me for His purpose?
Tonight, I came to the realization that I am the one
placing myself on the outside of a box that doesn't really exist. I have
created this box in my head, and I believe that others have the same box and I
am not fitting into their boxes either. I am a letdown – I am a failure. I
don’t measure up. These are all things that I am telling myself. But, I do fit
in - I fit perfectly into God’s plan for my life – the puzzle is flipped over
so that all I see is the plain, brown cardboard, but my piece fits. I just
can’t see the picture on the opposite side of the plain cardboard.
What box am I in? I am in the box that God created for me
to be in. Does it have a title – not yet, but it will.
I am in the box of Christian woman, wife, mother, friend,
co-worker, nurse, CrossFit addict, pastor’s wife, Bible Study teacher; the list
can go on and on. I am in a box all of my own – I am in my nitch – I am exactly
where I need to be even though I am not exactly sure where that is at. I can’t
see the big picture, but in due time I will see the beautiful picture – the
puzzle will be complete and I will see what I can’t see right now and it will
be spectacular – Why? because The Creator designed it.