There is More | Reach for It!
What a weekend! Of the things I miss most about being stateside, being around my family and the community of women and other couples that have become family top the list! But, this weekend, I went to a birthday party for one of my husband's co-workers (arguably my favorite one!) and had a great time. It was a much needed, and familiar, feeling to be surrounded by silly laughter, celebration and camaraderie. Of course, the dancing + barbecue sweetened the deal!
On Sunday, I ran into one of our campus pastors at church wearing a hat that read, "There is More." I immediately asked myself how such a simple phrase was etching so quickly and deeply into my heart.
I have to be honest with you all: Being a newlywed (2 months shy of 2 years in) with not-so-fairytale beginnings that still impact my heart and self-concept as well as my husband's, transitioning out of single motherhood and learning how to blend as a family, still identifying trauma triggers that expose hairline fractures in my soul that have yet to heal and not having a familiar and safe outlet (Target, Peet's Coffee or Paul Martin's) to retreat to is difficult! Not having my collection of white and gold carefully curated home decor, my Instant Pot or my favorite coffee mugs, as they sit in a Texas storage unit, can make me feel like I'm living in my husband's house; not our home. There are moments when those factors (as first world problem level as they may seem) elicit deeper feelings of loneliness, discontent and fear. There are moments when grey skies and working from home exacerbates those feelings and makes me feel stifled. There are also moments when my desire to find and nurture refreshing, local friendships, pulls on the threads of my own insecurity. I get caught in the cycle of sending the first text, making the first call and putting myself "out there" just to get the "thanks, things are soooo busy" text reply. I mean, I work full time, am building a brand, managing a family and the list goes on...I too am busy. But, we thrive when we're connected and I keep a margin for the investment of a healthy community. Telling myself not to take it personally becomes the record that I play over and again to affirm myself while discouragement and self-doubt creep in.
However, those moments are not allowed to derail my days full of reminders that I subscribe to an infallible truth: there is more! Not just a single-serving, one free refill, type of more, but an exceeding, abundantly, above all I can ask, think or imagine type of more (Ephesians 3:20)! I remind myself to be confident and secure in who I am (Psalm 139).
What is the more that God has placed in your heart- the more that makes your heart burst at the seams? Is it the promotion you're seeking, the marriage that you desire, the solid friendships that you're believing for? The new home, business success, brand visibility, baby, heart healing, personal freedom, community influence or overall forward momentum from stagnancy? Whatever it is, it is within reach.
Now, I certainly don't know the how and when the things you desire and are working towards will come to pass. BUT, I do know that the same God who hung the stars in the sky, gave animals survival instincts and creative defense mechanisms, created the colorful pigments that exist in nature, put the earth in perfect relation to the sun to keep every living creature from freezing or frying, and even inspired someone to mix peanut butter and chocolate (haha 🙌🏾) did not create you for anything less than abundance (John 10:10). But, you have to conceptualize it, then reach for it.
I offer you Biblical references as my foundation of truth, but whether or not you believe, the truth that there is more applies to you too! You're not exempt from the next-level, abundant living I'm speaking of. You are included and I must say, God loves and accepts you right at the place of joy and triumph or heartbreak, regret, guilt and shame. I know that to be true because I've been at each of those places and lived smack-dab in the center of His boundless passion and relentless pursuit of me.
From my heart to your's, don't you dare short yourself this week by settling for anything less than what you're believing for, praying about, working towards and dreaming of. Things may look, or feel, less than what you hope for, but never lose sight of the truth that there is, indeed, more. Reach for it, with intention, patience and tenacity because it is certainly possible!
Walking alongside you in the pursuit of more; and serving you in the pursuit of beauty, from the inside out.
MJK 🧡