Awkward is the price of admission for authentic connection. It costs us; oh, how it does. It costs our pride and our desire to be seen as perfect and the comfort of our couches. I hope I’m always willing to pay it.
The people who impress me most these days are not the ones on stages or those with the most likes on their social media pages. I’m impressed with the folks who show up in the everyday and say, “Here I am. There you are. Let’s figure out how to love each other.” That is a brave, beautiful, world-changing thing. — Holley Gerth
Here’s what I’ve learned through it all: Don’t give up; don’t be impatient; be entwined as one with the Lord. Be brave and courageous, and never lose hope. Yes, keep on waiting—for he will never disappoint you! Psalm 27:14 TPT
I think I always wanted to be a world-changer (on the inside!) but my biggest problem was always getting past “my two left feet” socially speaking!
Y’all know that I had plenty of trauma in my childhood and by the time I was around seven years old—me and the wallpaper in any room were BFF’s! It also didn’t help one bit that I was the only introvert born into a family of confident extroverts.
Talk about awkward!
I grew up longing for courage and confidence but oh those two left feet! They tripped me up every time until my favorite coping mechanism was discovering the best hiding place in any situation where I could feel safe—and invisible.
I’ve spent most of my life this way until quite recently when Jesus made it crystal clear to me that He and I were breaking up with “safe.”
(Insert hard “Gulp!” here.)
You see, God has made me realize that in His Kingdom, safe is irrelevant. He wants me as His ambassador and that means carrying His message into any place He wants me to go.
Like yesterday in a local restaurant.
Surrendering my old flames.
My friend and I walked into this near empty restaurant and took a booth. We ordered salads while we chatted about the sermon we had just heard. Our pastor had closed his message with words that went something like this, “We are here to love this community with the love of Jesus.”
Not an unusual challenge… unless you have two left feet.
You see, right now in Northern California we are on fire. People are being evacuated to shelters and are waiting to see if they will have anything to go home to. Brave firefighters have come from all over the state to help us fight this monster that is gobbling up people’s homes and the countryside. So, we were not surprised when the parking lot of the restaurant started filling up with fire trucks and lots of blackened weary firefighters began filing in, and sat at the long center table right across from us.
And God said, “Before you leave I want you to go over to that table and thank those men for all they’re doing.”
Now my heart is pounding!
Gulp, “You mean me God? Talk to all those men I don’t know?”
But God and I have been singing this “new song” lately. A duet of sorts, and I knew God wanted me to lay down my old flames of timid fear.
So I did!
Heart pounding the whole time, sort of stumbling over my words, I went up to their table and thanked those brave men for helping us, and told them how fantastic they were, and how much we appreciated them and all they were doing.
And every face at that table lit up with smiles!
Holley Gerth is also a hero of mine.
We can change this world—if we’re willing to let Jesus fill us with His brave new wine.
In her new post Holley finished by saying, “Awkward is the price of admission for authentic connection. It costs us; oh, how it does. It costs our pride and our desire to be seen as perfect and the comfort of our couches. I hope I’m always willing to pay it.
The people who impress me most these days are not the ones on stages or those with the most likes on their social media pages. I’m impressed with the folks who show up in the everyday and say, “Here I am. There you are. Let’s figure out how to love each other.” That is a brave, beautiful, world-changing thing.
And I think this kind of living is what Jesus shows us. He didn’t come to a throne but to a manger. He didn’t seek a spotlight but a cross. He didn’t stay at a distance but instead walked the dusty, messy roads with us. In other words, He could have made 20,000 people love Him but instead He pursued hearts one by one. He still does.
God, give us the courage to do the same.” — Holley Gerth
The Lord is my revelation-light to guide me along the way; he’s the source of my salvation to defend me every day. I fear no one!
Here’s what I’ve learned through it all: Don’t give up; don’t be impatient; be entwined as one with the Lord. Be brave and courageous, and never lose hope. Yes, keep on waiting—for he will never disappoint you! Psalm 27: 1, 14 TPT
Women With Destiny 