Memory Verse:
You did not choose Me, but I chose you.
I appointed you that you should go out and produce fruit.
John 15:16
Happy to be Me, huh? As I sit here and attempt to relate this to a situation, to someone I know, or anything that would bring this to point for you, it dawns on me that I am one of those people who has spent years and years of my life ‘wishing or pretending’ I was somebody different ~ in every way possible. For me that is pretty disappointing because I absolutely KNOW that I was created by my Heavenly Father specifically; down to every freckle, every flaw, every talent, every strength – I was designed just the way I was meant to be; however I’ve gone through life fighting that tooth and nail. Have you? Do you still? I can honestly say to you that today I too find myself still wishing I could get an ‘overhaul’ – picking and choosing the strengths and talents I see in those around me. Still unhappy being me, wanting to be better, wanting more in my life. The difference today ladies is that I have a relationship with my Heavenly Father and with Him I can accept the things that are just “me” and can change the things that keep me from being the best I can be, For Him.
I grew up on a small street in Orchard Park, New York with several beautiful girlfriends. My friend Dawn had incredible talent, a voice that you could listen to all day (even as a child), she was model beautiful (but wasn’t one to know it or show it). She went on to do Broadway and Vegas, she married well and has beautiful children – what I wouldn’t do to be Dawn! (Really Kelley?) The complete package, no flaws (more realistically, no visible flaws)! Then there was Wendy who was just a natural -I remember playing softball together as kids – she was a natural, I was a ‘wanna be’. At that time, I found it hard to retain the rules of the game nor was I as thin and athletic as everyone else. Wendy always seemed totally comfortable in her skin – she loved life and embraced it. If you didn’t like how she was, she didn’t care – she was going to be herself regardless. It was your loss, not hers. She was always laughing and enjoyed life, but realistically I know there were down times or times even Wendy was wishing or pretending she was someone else. While you are meeting all of my friends, I had a friend Susan, her family lived on top of their family restaurant. WOW, how cool is that! They had their own restaurant! When I would spend the night with Susan, they would bring us big hot fudge sundae’s upstairs. These were very cool times! But were they for her? Looking back now, I understand that each one of these awesome friends very likely spent their own amount of time wishing or pretending they were someone else. Growing up, I could not find ONE talent within me. I loved to write poetry ~ but never felt good at it. I spent day in and day out trying to find ‘WHAT” God blessed me with that was comparable with what all of my friends were or had.
Psalm 139:14-16 ESV says:
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.
This reminds us that We are UNIQUE! We are one of a kind! – we were built just the way we were supposed to be.
I met a new friend who could find nothing good about herself. I challenged her (oh yes, I’m good and creative at helping others – it’s myself I pick and choose what I want to address). I had her write down 10 things she liked about herself. She struggled with this for several days, but eventually got them! For affirmation, I had her put these by her bed and read them over and over. She eventually was able to work this list up to much more than 10! God makes no junk.
Priscilla challenges us today to get to know ourselves – to ‘strip away’ those things that mask us allowing us to be the AUTHENTIC person God created us to be; the person that was specially designed for His purposes.
I’m going to use the word again – yes, the word we must live by that keeps cropping up throughout our studies. Be INTENTIONAL in accepting who you are. Once we begin accepting who we are – when we allow ourselves to be AUTHENTIC and are okay with it – only then will we find freedom from the burdens of wishing we were someone else, of wishing we had the life of someone else, from the exhaustion caused as we fret over what we are not. Live as yourself, as created by God, for His plans and purposes – not your own. It’s time to stop fighting who we are and learn to bask in that the person God intended us to be!
Homework
Record your uniquenesses other people see in you. Which of these surprises you?
Record how you can be more intentional about using and celebrating these characteristics.
How would the dynamics of your family, your office, or your relationships benefit from your doing this?
Hugs <3 Kelley
Prayer
Father God, thank you for making each of us with our own special uniquenesses. Allow us through you to embrace these, celebrate these, and accept these for who we are in You. Thank you for loving us unconditionally, for eternal life, and for every blessing. Amen.
When you have completed the assignment here on the blog, return to your Facebook Online Bible Study Group for today’s FUN Activity!! You just never know what we have in store for you!! 
If you are not a member of our OBS Facebook Group, and would like to be, please send us an email and we’ll be happy to place you!! Our email address is: GirlfriendsCoffeeHour@gmail.com
About Kelly
Great post, Kelley! Thanks for being so real with us and with yourself. 😉
I was on a journey a few years ago to figure out my purpose. Truth be told, I still am but that's ok. On that journey I asked some people clOse to me and some that I was just getting to know how I had touched their lives in some way. One of the main things that kept coming back from both groups was encouragement. That's what I do. I HATE to see people down on themselves or situations. I'm the one that ALWAYS looks for the silver lining (sometimes annoyingly so. Lol). I tell the truth if I think someone is wrong or needs to change something but I do it in love and they know that by the way I intentionally try to make sure I am not hurting them in some way. Like you, Kelley, I have a hard time taking my own advice sometimes but I'm getting better about that. And God has placed a wonderful group of girlfriends in my life to help me with that. 🙂
YAY Tracy!!! I feel the same way – I am so good with everyone else but not so good with myself! I definitely feel like we have some awesome sisters here!!! I would be lost without them!
Kelley this is so scary but you just wrote exactly how I have felt growing up and even up til now. I am going to put this out there and be vunerable. It's so easy for me to find value in others because I believe they have value but not for myself. I'm like your friend who had a hard time finding ten things good about herself. I cannot tell anyone what my purpose for being here is because I myself don't know. I have no giftings, no talents and I want that overhaul too. I've been saved my whole life and know that I am fearfully and wonderfully made but my head and heart has a hard time believing it. This has been my biggest battle forever. Even today's assignment scares me because what if I ask my husband or kids what makes me unique and they not be able to come up with anything. I battle this daily and a 100x over. I'm not on a pitty party I am just being really real here and to say how much I honestly needed to hear what you said in your blog today and to believe it for myself because I definetly believe it for others. This was really really good today! Thank you…thank you….thank you! Like Christi said the other day we need to change our stinkin thinkin and we need to believe in Gods truth over our selves and not the enemies lies. I'm a work in progress. Thanks for allowing me to be real….it's a shocker to people when they find out how I feel about myself because I'm told I don't come across that way but it's an internal battle I struggle with daily! I love you Kelley and thank you for the awesome word today!
Lannette, you are a great encourager! I see you posting prayers and encouragement to our lovely ladies all the time! That is a gift! I had to be told by friends and family when I was searching and seeking my purpose. I didn't see that as a gift. That was "normal" to me. But it's not normal for everybody else. You are an amazing woman!
I agree Tracy – Lannette has a huge talent in ministry! And so do you!!!
Thank you for the encouragement Tracy. It's easy for me to encourage others because I believe in what I'm encouraging them about and I care about the person. But to point it in my direction seems to be a tad challenging at times. I'm getting there……. 🙂
Lannette – we all have talents!!!! Especially YOU! – the work you do with this ministry is a HUGE talent, takes amazing ability – not everyone can do this kind of work!!!! But you do it beautifully!!! So, don't dis-credit yourself! Promise me that! I can't sing and I can't dance – I can't play an instrument – I'm not an Olympic athlete or figure skater – but you know what? I am good at working with people! Not everyone can say that – I am good in ministry – so today I know some strengths I never saw as a child or teenager. I am a jam up grandma and I like to think pretty good mama! and guess what? at nearly 47 years old I am kicking butt in the gym doing Muay Thai! – yep kicking bags, punching bags, elbowing pads and kneeing them. I'm going to do a 5k on the 28th – (of course, will not likely run it all)…but I'm going to do it. and before I'm 50, I'm going to run at least a 1/2 marathon…although I'd love to do a whole….(do I still doubt, OH yes – do I still fight myself, OH yes – do I still want what everyone else has, YEP – I'm human! BUT God gave us minds and bodies – we have to find our purpose. Mine is to get in the best shape possible to serve him and His ministries. You have so much to share from your life, much like me – perhaps you need to take those experiences out to help others in the same situations…maybe that means writing a book – USE YOUR PAST AND EVERYTHING YOU HAVE LEARNED OVER THE YEARS to give back! We had some tough times – now find how you are supposed to use those times to change lives and draw people to His Kingdom. (sorry, got off on a tangent – but I know you have so many talents! and I want you to see them!!!0 HUGS sweet sister!
lol…..love that tangent Kelley and thank you for the encouragement.
Lannette, I could have written this post myself! & I did send out a text to all my family as well as post as my status on fb. 2 replies – from my sis & my stepmom. Definitely fighting the internal battle today. Thanks for being real. Hugs
Thank you for the encouraging word. I've yet to ask anyone what they think what makes me unique. Pondering on this assignment. lol
WOW thanks Kelley, this was wonderful food for thought….however I am one who will need to really focus on this assignment a while….because I have never liked being in the lime-light….I like to be on the sidelines with no focus or attention on anything I am doing….I know there are special things about me because my God made me unique and special but I have never really focused on them "on purpose"….I guess one thing I can think of for now is being an uplifter/encourager……I have always been one who has desired to lift others from the pit they find themself in because I dont like seeing them suffer….I have never even thought once about asking someone else what they see in me because for me it seems like I am asking to be boosted up in some way….but in thinking about this assignment I guess it might be good because then they may share some good things and some things they see I could work on….so hmmm…maybe I will try that..yep definitely gonna have to chew on this assignment longer because I want God to use this to change anything He sees that needs to be changed…I want to align myself with His will…and to do that I have to take these deeper looks at myself to uncover and explore the RAW Beverly that He created so I can continue to achieve His purpose He planned for me……OH so love how God is moving in me and helping me to become a better me…a happy to me me!
I love that you want God to use this assignment to change you in any way He sees fit!!! That's beautiful and so true! Your desire to align with His will – wow….gives me chills reading this! I pray that God will show you in big ways whatever He needs you to see and take from this assignment. AND if one of your "uniqenesses" is a not so positive one – that's PERFECT – makes you human and truly does give you an area to work on – because sister, we ALL have weaknesses and character defects…if we didn't, we would NOT need Him. I have a feeling tho, you are goint to get some uplifting, positive feedback. Do not look at it as you are looking to get kudos – this is an exercise for YOU to see YOU through the eyes of others…to see the person that GOD created one freckle at a time! To see the beauty that we don't see on our own that – to understand your "construction"!!! I'd love to know what God shows you! I'm going to make a note to follow up with you on this!!! 🙂
Thanks Kelley! I too still find myself wishing. I have cried out to God, telling Him I have no idea who I am anymore. I'm not sure I ever did. Like your friend I struggle with finding 10 good things about myself. I do not feel like I have any gifts or talents & when I asked others what makes me unique I only got 2 replies. I would love to bask in the person God created me to be if I only knew what/who that was. Thanks for giving me lots to think about
Praying for you sweet sister – it's not you, it's them. Just be yourself! It is my prayer that you will learn to love yourself – accept who you are – and that through your relationship with Jesus Christ you will become totally comfortable in who you are!!! Because YOU are a CHILD OF GOD and He makes no junk!
Wow awesome post Kelley , this is just what I needed to read because I am like I do not like to see people down and out I love to make someone smile I love to encourage others and to make people laugh, I never asked anybody what makes me unique never , because I still struggle with what one thin g would people say about me I do not know and would be afraid to ask them because I do not know what they would say.
Carol
Carol, this is a double edged sword – if we get back great feedback, then we shine in that; however, if we get back feedback that's not too good -then we become down on ourselves……I would LOVE to have the philosophy that the only person I care what they think of me is Jesus Christ….and as long as I'm living for Him and doing what I know I'm supposed to be doing by following His word – than I really don't care what these other people think ………..so, yeah, definitely a double-edged sword. You do a GREAT job encouraging others…..and you are an awesome person period – don't worry about anything else!