The Peace of Being Seen, Heard, and Valued

Hey Family! I'm excited for this next blog series that will examine the Peace of Being Seen, Heard, and Valued. As we learn and grow together, my heart's prayer is that we learn to make room for ourselves and be vulnerable enough to allow others to truly see, hear, and value our authentic selves.  It is time out for shrinking back and ignoring or suppressing the fullness of who we are, all in hopes of being accepted by onlookers. Who you are today is enough! You deserve to truly be seen, heard, and valued as the amazing person that you are already! It is a peace that you no longer need to deny yourself. 

Each of us embodies so many different identities. When I think about who I am, multiple titles come to mind. I am a Christian, African American woman who is a wife, mother, daughter, sister, and friend. I am a preacher, psychologist, speaker, advocate, and entrepreneur. This is just a handful of the hats that I wear. I have had to be intentional about learning how to appreciate each of them collectively and individually. This has not always been easy nor has it come naturally. I was not at peace with who I was nor who I was becoming. 

I think about when God began to call me into the preaching ministry. I was the ripe old age of 23, lol, and could not believe that God would (let alone should) call someone like me to preach and teach. I could easily give God a laundry list of reasons for why He should call someone else. I was even kind enough to provide Him with a comprehensive list of folks who I thought were better qualified for such a call on their life than me, lol. Beyond feeling like I was not the one for the job, I also struggled with the fear that friends, family, and my boyfriend would not want to be in a close relationship with a minister. I was afraid that to embrace my calling was to sign up for rejection and loneliness. The fear of rejection and loneliness was enough to motivate me to run from my calling for years and pretend that the preaching/ teaching part of me did not exist.

Here’s the reality, I could not outrun my call; it was in me and came out of my mouth whenever I opened it. Trying to outrun God was exhausting and an exercise in futility. Second, I had to learn that my call was not something to be ashamed or embarrassed about. It was a beautiful gift that I had been entrusted with that would be appreciated and cultivated by those who truly saw me and wanted the best for me. It took time, but I learned to value the parts of me that made me different and made me feel like the most complete version of myself. When I accepted that truth, it made it so much easier to just do life and enjoy it for what it was. I finally felt at peace. And I want that same sense of peace for you!

So over the course of the next few weeks let's unpack what it means to be truly seen, heard, and valued. My heart's prayer for you is that as we examine these three facets of being that you will grow a true appreciation for your authentic self and give people permission to get to know the real you. Love and blessings.