I was sitting on the shuttle headed to the Port of Galveston in Texas. My family and I were on our way to a 7-day vacation aboard the Liberty of the Seas Cruise Ship. It takes about an hour to get from the Houston, TX airport to the Port of Galveston. About thirty minutes into the trip, my mom passed a piece of notebook paper to me. “It’s from Gianna”, she said. Gianna is my 12-year-old niece.
I opened up the note and it said:
As I was reading the note, all these thoughts ran through my mind: “I’m NOT amazing and I’m definitely NOT awesome. I might be fun, but I’m NOT funny. I can be nice, but I’m NOT cool. I’m actually overweight. I need to exercise more. I need to eat better. I’m going to look awful in my bathing suit”. And the negative thoughts kept running through my mind.
I quietly tucked the note in my book and went back to reading
Every morning on vacation, I got up to watch the sunrise. One morning I was praying about something God put on my heart to do and I was struggling. I was feeling insecure, inadequate, and incapable. I asked God for the knowledge, wisdom, and strength to be bold and courageous. As I was praying, Gianna’s note came to mind. God reminded me that I’m fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14) and that I don’t’ have to look far to see His affirmation in my life.
He reminded me that His “truths” are revealed in the simple things of everyday life. A word of encouragement from the cashier at the grocery store, an inspiring post on Facebook, and even a seemingly insignificant note from a child. I was asking God for affirmation and He already sent me a note a few days earlier. He knew I was going to need a word of encouragement so He sent it my way. I was praying for something that was right in front of me and I almost missed it.
I don’t want to miss the “truths” of God’s word in my life – so every morning
I silence the negative tape that plays in my head seeking to discourage me from being all that God called me to be. I intentionally look to see and listen to hear God in the everyday moments of my life.
I remind myself that I AM THE AMAZING, COOL, NICE, AWESOME, FUN, and FUNNY Aunt Karris
And that I’m capable of doing the things God requires of me today
Gianna (my niece) thinks I’m AWESOME and God does too
Karris