Happy Thanksgiving! I love everything about the Thanksgiving holiday, spending time with loved ones, reflecting on the many blessings in one’s life and all of the delicious food. 😋 Not to mention the act of thanksgiving is Biblical. There are so many scriptures that talk about how good it is to give thanks.
This year, I am thankful for my relationship with Jesus as a believer in Christ and the freedom from guilt & shame within that. I’m also thankful for my wonderful husband and marriage, my happy and healthy children, my parents and extended family, my close friendships, new relationships I’m building this year, are a few things within the never ending list.
Within my long list are the mentors in my life, the women I aspire to emulate. As I’m approaching 30, I’ve noticed a priority shift within myself. The things that were important to me in my early 20s like how my life is perceived has been replaced with the importance of the life I’m living and it’s authenticity.
For example, in social settings I always wanted to seem like I had my act together, what can I say about my job, my relationship with my husband and my home that can show how good everything is. Life in my early 20s could be summed with the phrase “keeping up appearances”. I was living from a place rooted deeply in my insecurities and choking on them at the same time.
Then God, in all of his faithfulness, brought women into my life that embodied the life that I really wanted. They were happily married and after spending loads of time with them, I realized that despite disagreements with their spouses, they deeply loved their husbands and had peaceful relationships with them. Not to mention their husband’s we’re crazy about them. Even though they had lovely houses, the beauty in them wasn’t necessarily how clean they were but the life they supported, and the love and openness found there.
They also each had AMAZING children that were respectful, had a love for the Lord and are now serving Him as adults today. These three areas of marriage, home and children still inspire me today. The insecure 20 something who wanted everything to be perfect, is no longer there in place of a more established almost 30 year old. She wants to live her life in the most open hearted way possible, while being a loving and present wife and mother who is less focused on how clean her house is but how much affection is there.
To those women, thank you for changing the course of my life with the example in yours and giving me love and wisdom whenever I needed it. I am thankful for you and your willingness to befriend a lost 20 year old that was looking for belonging. You have the fragrance of Christ’s love and joy and I am blessed to know you.
Befriending someone in your life that is living a dream similar to the one you desire is a game changer. I highly recommend seeking out a mentor in your life who can make your dreams become reality.