He came here for 1 of 2 reasons…
My snuggle-sniffing three year old wandered in to the family office for one of two reasons:
1) He’d decided quiet time was over-rated and wanted to hang with me or…
2) He needed some help cleaning up a mess but wasn’t ready to say the words.
Okay, hot stuff, let’s go.
We headed to the bathroom, where he’d obviously tried to tidy up, but wasn’t entirely successful.
As my eyes absorbed the mess, I took a deep breath, and…
Wow. I’m so proud of you for trying and for coming to get me.
… which made me think of you, Reader, and how darn quickly we beat ourselves up for our messes – whether or not it’s of our own making.
(Btw, as a 100% imperfect parent, it’s taken 1000s of “Agh! What happened here?!” moments to respond like this. You should have seen us yesterday… yikes!)
What crosses your mind?
Honestly, how often do you assume that when God sees you in a state of chaos in your heart/mind/body/soul/relationships/work/etc., His first response is, “Not good enough. Do better. What a disappointment.”
But… that’s not who He is.
In fact, He sees His beloved one whom he loves. He sees you trying to do better, grow more, and be more like Him – even when you find yourself in a messy space.
As Jesus shared before:
When you feel like an imposter, a hot mess, or not good enough, remember that you are chosen, loved, and valuable to Him. Each moment you embrace your identity as God’s beloved, you’re able to live more intentionally, purposefully and passionately. It’s journey, not a destination.
And that’s okay.
Beloved, live intentionally with passion and purpose as God’s beloved!
Cortney
I’m Cortney, a recovering over-achiever and God’s beloved who loves helping fellow Christian women like you embrace your God-given gifts so you have the confidence to live authentically.
I’m also a full-time mama to two sweet little boys, wife to my best friend, motivational speaker, and part-time Christian life coach. Chai lattes, strong coffee, podcasts, yoga, dance, and fairy tales nourish my soul and add sweetness to life.
Discovering the joy of embracing my God-given gifts and who He created me to be was a game-changer—a journey that brought freedom, unexpected delights, and relief from guilt. Finally, I felt free to be myself and ditch the pressure of being someone I wasn’t.
Incorporating those gifts into my day—from weekly planning to deciding on commitments, nurturing my marriage, and parenting—transformed everything. Now, I can’t imagine life without the perspective of fully embracing who God created me to be. I was missing so much without it!
