shoe analogy

cowboy boots... these are one of my favorite pairs of shoes, but i don't wear them as often as i would like. wearing my cowboy boots would display a confidence that i do not usually or always have. they are not the most stylish shoes or are in style really, but i love them and they are a part of who i am. my boots remind me of the country atmosphere where i was raised, small town charm. where everyone knew everybody and were friends of many. i think of the little old ladies in my church that were very tender hearted and loved everyone like we were their own children, the smallest thing we did for them touched them deeply. that is part of me.

chacos - there are very few outdoor enthusiasts that do not own a pair of chacos. these shoes remind me of people who are always out on an adventure or just getting back from one. chacos are comfortable no matter what you are doing. i can run in them, hike, kayak, or just walk around campus. they make me think of exploring and searching for something. that is part of me.

tennis shoes - these represent being an athlete and all the blood sweat and tears that is involved in training. as i look at my tennis shoes sitting here in the floor i see stains from the mud that i stomp through when i go running, or the fraying shoe lace from being pulled tight too many times. these shoes were once strong when i bought them, but now they are worn out and in need of repair or replacement. that's me i want to be strong on my own, but i need Jesus to repair and provide renewal. that is part of me.

barefeet - when i go barefooted i feel like a kid again. i feel an overwhelming sense of joy and that i am truly alive. when i was a young child there was a sense of freedom. i want freedom from the bondages that hold me back from truly being alive in Christ. i want that to be not just part, but all of me! to have an alive and growing relationship with God!

this past year has been a lot of going through trials, but learning from it. learning who i am apart from my family and friends that i grew up with. who i truly am in Christ and what i believe!

easier said than done!

recently i was given the challenge to just be weak...anyone who really knows me, knows that it is hard for me to reveal and accept my weaknesses and let others help. i tend to bottle it up inside of me and to just keep pushing through life.

but then i found this:

but he said to me, "my grace is sufficent for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." therefore i will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. that is why, for Christ's sake, i delight in weaknesses, i insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. for when i am weak, then i am strong. 2 corinthians 12:9-10

God's strength is all that i need. i don't need to rely on my own strength.

then just last weak i got a really cool analogy from God cause i know i'm not smart enough to come up with it on my own.... so i have a massive bruise on my right arm from where i tried to give blood and the nurse ended up sticking the needle straight through the vein and busting the blood vessel. my arm was swollen and hurting anytime i tried to move it, and i could not life much with my right arm for a couple days. i also have some scars on, get this, my right hand/arm, from previous injuries. so here it is: i am right handed so that is my strong arm, but even at my strongest i can't protect myself, and do things on my own, i have to rely on God's strength!

God totally used my ridiculous experience with the blood drive to remind me of His strength once again and my need to surrender control and just be weak!