Choosing Hope and Cultivating an Inspired Life with Author, Mary Clewley
Several years ago I went to a pastor’s conference at Willow Creek Community Church in Chicago. One of the speakers did a teaching on “holy discontent,” which he described as passion burning inside of each one of us to do something great. It will be different for each of us, but we all have a passion that drives us. We can choose to ignore it, or we can embrace it and watch how God uses it.
A book that I am reading, A New Look at Prayer: Searching For Bliss, by Bill Huebsch, says this in regard to the subject of passion and inner yearnings:
“Many people live their entire lives without following their inner call. They never do that thing which is most “them”, never follow their heart. In their thinking, they’re being responsible adults, doing the work expected of them, earning a living, making a name, caring for others, obeying the rules, perfecting the world, running the ship, keeping things tidy…and so these people never know the bliss of following their yearning, listening to their ache, doing their thing in life…how very sad because when we listen closely to that deep, inner voice, and follow our real route, then the world too, prospers because all of us are living according to our created purpose.”
It’s funny how when we are receptive to the messages God has for us, we will find and discover them around us each day.
What is your holy discontent? What ONE thing has been a constant in your life? Is there something that you would like to achieve, a people group you long to help, something that you dream about or something that you would quit your day job to do, if you could?
Take chances. Live your dream. Invest in yourself, and by doing so you will help change the world around you. I have a plaque on my desk to remind me that I am moving in the right direction and it reads, “Follow Your Heart.” I need a visual reminder to assure me in moments of self-doubt that I can do all things through Christ, who is my strength. (Philippians 4:13)
List three things you would like to try:
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2.
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List three places you would like to visit:
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2.
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Define your “holy discontent”. Write it down. Pin it up somewhere that you can see it, daily. Once you begin to see and understand what it is that you are passionate about, your “holy discontent”, you can begin the process of working toward something.
Begin to “Follow Your Heart” today…. try some new things, go somewhere new, work toward listening closer to your inner voice, following your real route…the route that was designed especially for you. How would your journey look? Describe…
Self-acceptance gives us wings. Our wings enable us to soar to greater heights, no longer weighed down by thoughts of doubt and failure, we believe in ourselves enough that we are elevated, spiritually, emotionally and intellectually. The evolution of knowing oneself cuts the ties of defeat.
During a recent visit to my local gym, a woman came to the gym to inquire about a membership. She sat for a long time talking with the owner. One of the things I heard her say was, “I hate my body so much that I have not looked at myself in the mirror for four years.” She continued, “I need to do this…I need to do this…” as if trying to convince herself. As I went to leave, I was struck with a compelling urge to tell her, “You can do this.” When I did, she started crying. “Oh, thank you, thank you. I needed to hear that. I needed that encouragement.”
On the drive home, I thought about my encounter and it suddenly struck me that when we move in the direction of caring for ourselves on any level, we own our own infinite power. When this woman walked into the gym just like myself, we began to own our power. Shutting off the rest of our lives, and the world, carving out time to get in touch with our own needs will do nothing less than help us grow in love, acceptance and come into the light of all that is good and strong and heroic about ourselves.
For years a friend lived in a marriage where she was told that the things she admired most about herself were not to be counted. She was told that her passions were merely “hobbies”, not noteworthy, although she excelled professionally at one of her passions. Day after day another human being who tried to rob her of everything that was beautiful inside of her eroded her sense of self worth and self-esteem. I could see it in her demeanor; the way she carried herself, the way she walked and the way she communicated with others.
For some, God gives us the tools of self-discovery, although sometimes it comes late in life. Still, there are others who never find it. What I have found is that God will open a door and say, “walk through it” and once we walk through it, he continues to give us bursts of insight about our past, present and future. It makes me sad to know that there are so many women in the world who will never discover their own true inner beauty and worth.
Exploring ourselves requires persistence, continuing on despite fear and some days of depressive self-reflection, identifying our mistakes, forgiving, forgetting and moving forward, learning to love oneself each new morning. It is a daily process of admitting that we have made mistakes or had bad experiences, but they will not defeat us or hold us back from being everything God created us to be.
“Go confidently in the direction of your dreams.” Henry David Thoreau
I love to preach and my favorite audiences are women. I have found such tremendous vulnerability in women. Women tend to give all they have, opening themselves up emotionally, sharing from the heart. They need to feel cherished, need to feel special, need to be recognized for their own unique gifts. Women draw energy from other women. When I used to speak at women’s venues the energy was contagious.
I have always said that I wish I had all the wisdom of an older woman while I was young, as I believe women grow to love themselves the older we get. We grow softer, gentler, and kinder. We grow in wisdom and grace, and whether intentional or not, we learn from life’s mistakes.
If I could broadcast a message to all women it would be:
You Are Beautiful
You Are Talented
You Are Special in God’s Eyes
You Are Worthy
You Are Able
You Have All That You Need Within Yourself
Don’t Give Anyone the Power to Rob You of Your God-Given Joy
If You Have Self-Esteem/Self-Worth Issues, Get Help, Talk With Someone
Invest in Yourself
Move On
You Can Do Hard Things
You have a purpose
Self acceptance is a spiritual journey. We must learn to practice loving and accepting ourselves, submitting our imperfections to God, daily. He can change us from the inside-out. When we understand God’s deep and abiding, flawless love for us, we begin to practice better self-love and acceptance. This is a lifelong journey.
“You’re amazing…I just wanted to tell you that, because I doubt that it’s something you hear too often.” This perfectly imperfect woman, beaten up by voices she carries around in her head. Voices that tell her she is not good enough, not pretty enough, not lovable. Voices she has believed through her life, filling her with self-doubt and given credibility by the harshness of another person’s weakness.
A little girl, holding her Raggedy Ann on her 8th birthday. I’ll bet she did not realize Raggedy Ann would become symbolic of a tattered life, filled with pieces of loveliness and brokenness, wrapped up like the presents surrounding her 8th birthday cake. When we are told enough that we do not matter, we are insignificant, unlovable, we begin to believe. “I’m sorry for the ways I have failed you…see, I was working on me. I never meant to leave you behind. The weight of your need was too great for my smallness.”. “I wish I could fix what is broken inside of you, just like I wish I could fix what is broken inside of myself, but I can’t.” All these bruised up places, only God can fix.
There is perfection in imperfection. There is One who Perfectly loves our imperfection. One who lifts up Raggedy Ann’s like you and me—all tattered with loveliness and brokenness. One who will never leave you nor forsake you—who is and was. One who was there with the little girl in each of us when times were scary, when mama bandaged bruised knees and hearts. One who was there on our first dates and first kisses. One who knew we were making mistakes and let us make them anyway, cuz life is about learning from our mistakes.
When we see ourselves in the Light of Christ, the shackles of heaviness fall to the wayside. We are filled with child-like wonder…the wonder that we missed as kids trying to make our way through the perplexities of life, trusting and getting broken, learning and hurting. Smooth edges become rough edges through ups and downs and the curves of life, then we come full circle, rounded again as we lean further into the One who knows our secrets and loves us anyway. One who loves our perfect imperfection because he created us, perfectly imperfect.
If I leave nothing else behind in this life, I pray that I leave a trail of hope. Hope that you can walk through years and puddles of tears, toward the One who can carry your burdens and mend all the broken places. Hope that you walk in the sunlight of His voice, rather than voices of judgment, voices that would bind the beauty of your soul, bursting to be set free. Come, walk with me…let’s walk toward the Son. Take my hand, you perfectly imperfect creature. Yes, you, Raggedy Ann. His Glory shines as we shed the weight of imprisoned and impoverished self-image. Do you see it? Look up and walk toward the Glory. Your soul is finally free!
You and me…both perfectly imperfect, both loved and warmly embraced in the palm of the One. “You’re amazing”, he says. Raggedy Ann meets Abba, Father and he fixes up all the bruised up places.
Life is a gift. Honor it.
Give thanks for something everyday.
Find joy in small moments.
You can utter the name of God whenever you need him and he will hear you.
Listen to your body.
Eat for health.
Exercise everyday.
Know that God is all around you.
Take care of your teeth.
Get yearly blood work and exams.
Focus on the positive.
Be yourself~ Imperfections and all.
When things get tough, know that you can get through this.
You can do hard things.♡
Your time here is short, but eternity is forever.
Put away a little each week ,consistently to build a nest egg.
God loves good stewards of their money, health, elationships, and gifts.
There is no situation that is hopeless.
Never stop reading or growing, intellectually.
Be kind, even when you don’t feel like it.
When you make a choice, choose hope.
Believe in healing.
Smile a little each day.
Live within your means.
Ask others to pray for you.
Give to something you believe in.
Make sure to touch and be touched.
Enjoy your books so much that you write in the margins.
Embrace the changing seasons.
Take a walk in the rain.
Every now and then …do a cannonball!
Cultivate laughter in your life.
Do what you need to do to be well.
You can’t change people, you can only change yourself.
Dig in the dirt. Plant something every spring.
Comfort others who are grieving.
Give without expecting to receive.
Wrap your Christmas presents with fun wrap.
Keep Christ in Christmas.
Read A Christmas Carol aloud each year.
Establish traditions…they give you roots.
You have something to offer the world.
Don’t accept defeat.
When your plans don’t work out, think of another way to accomplish them.
Timing is everything.
Think of someone who inspires you when you see a butterfly. They were once a chrysalis too.
God will never leave you nor forsake you.
Hold hands.
Listen.
Accept differences.
Learn a new language.
Light a candle. Put it in a special place. Remember loved ones this way.
Do your dishes before you go to bed.
Hang a cross somewhere in your house.
Recognize the goodness in others.
Try new things.
Recognize that your words have powerful influence. Use them wisely.
God answers prayers, big and small.
God will close many doors in your lifetime, however, he will open many windows.
Know your strengths.
Be gentle with yourself.
Find something you love to do and feel passionate about and do it.
Be a safe person and allow others to be who they are.