by Martha June

Y’all what a day to be alive.

Not going to lie, life has got me down lately. For no particular reason, it may seem. (Although “senioritis” is a big one) I just look around and feel “blah.” (Descriptive much Martha?)

I have found that I am prone to wander. This is not a brand new discovery or even a shocker. Yet, I still am reminded how similar we as people are to sheep. We need our shepherd folks, and despite our need, we fail to run to him for direction. Or even -dare I say-let him shepherd.

This last weekend proved to be a delight on so many levels. I had the chance to drive about 45mins away from my physical home to my heart’s home. With the intention of visiting my Grandma. 🙂 Most people who know me might have heard me say “yall I am basically 80 years old, no joke!” Well if you can picture me in a 70-year-old form, friends you have met my sweet Grandmother.  We had a blast together watching Disney movies, playing twenty questions, drinking endless amounts of tea, and tackling “the cemetery debacle.” (Another story for another time friends.)

As I spent time with her and my Grandpa I really saw how good God has been to me. Now don’t get me wrong, the Lord has been MIGHTY good to me all throughout my life. But there are these moments I just can’t deny God’s hand at work. I have watched people my entire life trying to change who they are for the benefit of others. Who would like to craft an image of someone they want to be instead of who they are. Ashamed of where they have come from, and unfortunately, embarrassed for people to see them for who they are. For a while there, that was me.  Insecure about who I was as a person and afraid to be who I was created to be.  (MIDDLE SCHOOL ANYBODY?!!!)  And if that is you, friends, let me tell you something.  Be exactly who God created YOU to be.  Social media is trying to entice us to conform to a certain “look” and expectation. Giving us an unrealistic goal to reflect. Pinterest is great and all (’cause don’t you know I’ve pinned up a storm in my time.) and Instagram, let’s be honest, IS A BLAST.

But Pinterest is crafted by “image makers” and Instagram lies about how real people are. I have been the guilty party who on a really bad day, posts a great picture to make me feel better. (Raise your hand if you’ve been there!) (You’re lying if you didn’t raise your hand.) Have you been there yall? Have you ever focused, even unintentionally, on how the world can satisfy that longing in your heart?

I have.

Slowly wandering away from the satisfaction of knowing and following my shepherd. Focusing on the things of this world, and ever so slowly losing sight of the shepherds leading. But what this world has to offer is not who we are or should be.  Just be you. Don’t wait a certain amount of weeks to post a picture, because “that’s how Instagram works” If it brings you joy POST IT. If that outfit is not the norm (as long as it’s modest) WEAR IT. And would you do me a favor? Look around at the people God has put into your life, and realize. Yes, they are imperfect people, we all are. But those people God put in your life? Are perfect for you. Without your family, you would not be the person you are today. Without your siblings, you probably wouldn’t have learned about true friendship. And your location is right where God wants you to be right now.

Maybe I am trying to get my point across in too many words. Maybe I’m not making any sense to you…Just know. The Good Shepherd would never lead you somewhere where he has not already been. He would not place you within a community without intention. He will not leave you by yourself in a dark place, but rather search for you until you see His light. Jesus is the Good Shepherd, he knows his sheep and wishes them to be nothing but themselves. Hoping they realize their only satisfier is Him and Him alone. So let him lead your life and not your social media.

It took me visiting my Grandma to realize how perfectly God has knit together my life. How tailored these people and the good old midwest is for me. As well as his calling in my life to be real. Real in every sense of the word. Because our image will not last into eternity, it is who we are on the inside that will last forever. Who we are will impact people for Christ, show someone what love looks like, and stir our hearts to do what God calls us to do.  Goodness knows, sweet Jesus loves us regardless of how we dress or how “fire” our Instagrams look.  Just like the artist wants the glory for his masterpiece. God wants people to see his glory through you, his masterpiece. For there is no one like you in all the world. And changing yourself to look like other pieces of art? Well, people fall in love with the original, not the mass production. You are one of a kind. Don’t you ever change that friend.

Psalm 139:14-16

“I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.”

Sincerely,

the girl who loves wide open spaces