Creatives At Work
It’s 1994-ish, I rented my first two-bedroom apartment. My sister Micki and I, living in different cities decided to do floral arranging together. We didn’t really decide, she just did it and I joined in! She would do flowers for a wedding, she is the designer, I am the copier. I would drive over to her home, two hours away and help her assemble her vision to celebrate someone’s grand event. We also catered together but that’s for another time. Soon I was doing my own events out of my apartment. We were florists. We bought flowers and accessories from the whole sale floral store and just worked hard and began to develop a client base. In both cities, doing our own thing and sometimes together. My little living room turned into a cooler; I would turn my one room air conditioner on high even in February to keep the flowers from opening prematurely. My lovely friend Tami, who was a “real florist” refined some of my skills. It was a great way to provide extra income on my single mom income.
We always shared with one another that we felt like someone was going to tap us on the shoulder and say, “Excuse me, but I’m on to you; you don’t know what you’re doing.”
Then what?
That was Then
25 years later, sharing a story, stepping on stage to speak to a group, I still feel that sometimes. Do you? Can you relate?
This is Now
In my recent trip to Greece, surrounded by an amazing group of Christian Doctors and spouses and friends; I had this moment. “Um, you don’t belong here, these people have been Christians all their lives (if they had or not), they are all smarter than you, they even know all the songs in the Greek hymnal.” Suddenly, I feel insecure and I think, “Do they all think I’m a fraud?”
See, I know all the right things to say; “I’m a child of the King.” “I was adopted by my Abba Father.” “I walk by faith.” “If God is for me…”
It’s so easy to get tripped up. Our minds get snagged fast. The truth is, I’m fairly smart (I’m not Doctor material, just not) and I love the Lord. I believe all He has taught me. I have my own story to tell. I am a walking, breathing example of God’s grace and mercy. He has provided for me, loved me, picked me up and brushed off the dust for me. It’s nothing I’ve done, or I’ve proven. I just trust God, do the work, and He does the rest. Sometimes I wish I had it all planned out. The next steps would be a sure thing. But I don’t. What I do know is that I am God’s girl. I’ve felt His arms around me when I’ve needed them. I’ve heard Him whisper when I felt all alone.
I am Fully Convinced of this:
And they have defeated him (the devil) by the blood of the Lamb and by their testimony. And they did not love their lives so much that they were afraid to die. ~ Revelation 12:11
The devil will whisper, or he will find someone else to tear you down. God is bigger than the boogie man.
Keep creating, keep giving, keep working hard, keep living your dreams.
Undefeated,
Susie