Throughout my walk as a Christian, I have heard various versions of the saying "Your ministry comes from your misery." Many people have said it. I am not quite sure who coined the statement, but it is powerful and truthful from my experience. I have had the opportunity to meet many beautiful young women over time that God has allowed me to mentor. These women's lives are a mirror image of my own life in so many ways, and it is simply mind blowing. God placing a reflection of who you are in front of you and magnifying your entire life completely takes the focus off of you.
I
truly believe the things we struggle with the most can serve as a
blessing to others. There are always going to be situations in our
lives that take place and serve as nothing more than hurtful or
tragic. But if our hearts are still beating after these shaping
experiences, it is important to share them with others. Our
experience can factor as a guiding light at the end of a dark tunnel
for someone in need. This light becomes our testimony or the
evidence of overcoming the adversity that could have left us damaged
or no longer here to tell our stories. Going from victim to victor
is a huge deal.
I
often encounter artists or people in many different vocational fields
that say they are ready to be out in the world sharing their gifts,
but they do not fully understand what this means.
It means you have to share yourself with others.
Sharing means that a part or portion of who you are is divided among
a number of people, as well as showing a willingness to be open with
the people who contribute to your life. Many times we only like to
give of ourselves in a way that is convenient to us, but that is not
how it works. The question I always ask them is, “Are
you ready to share your story?
Because
it is no longer about you."
Recently, I was on the train and I saw a man eating. I did not want to stare
too hard but I do enjoy observing people in their own element. As I
was watching him, I could feel tears welling up in my eyes and I
said, "Lord
what is going on?"
I realized that what I was witnessing, was not just a man who was
physically hungry and eating but instead I was watching a man eat
whose soul was hungry. You may be wondering, "How
can you tell the difference?"
I have struggled with overeating long enough in my life to know the
difference. It was as if I could see this man’s spirit or soul
extending and reaching beyond what he was physically doing. He wanted
intimacy or simply someone to just talk to. What I saw was confirmed
when a woman turned to him to ask a question and he leaned in towards
her very quickly to answer. I even noticed that when she was done
talking, he kept asking questions to engage her, and when she shared
with him, his whole demeanor transformed. I was happy that, in some
way, it seemed as if his soul was being fed.
This
made me think of the lyrics from India Arie’s song “God is Real,"
Smaller
than the eye can see,
Bigger
than the mind can conceive…
That’s
how I know that God is real…
We
never know what people are hungry for. If we have been blessed to see
another day or have the ability, we should be sharing our lives with
others. It is tough to do when we are layered with hurt and pain of
the past and searching for answers that will sooth our souls, but
with God’s guidance it is worth it. Sharing
the life that has been gifted to me is where I have encountered God
the most.
God
shared with me this week that His
word is the framework for which we experience Him.
It is where He reveals Himself, and it is this revelation from the
Holy Spirit that sheds light on everything else I read and encounter
in life. If we truly know and have a relationship with God, no
matter where we go, we will find Him.
"Even
though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear
no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort
me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you
anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy
shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the
house of the Lord forever," (Psalm 23: 4-6, ESV).
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