Courageous Women #5: You are worthy!

I have struggled to see my own worth. I have struggled with feeling worthy. I remember feeling as a teenager that I was unworthy to even drive a car. I had failed my restricted twice by that point and I decided - I came to the complete and final decision (in my mind) that I was never going to drive. I came in and said to mum that it was fine, I would just find a man who could drive, and then he could transport me everywhere. However, mum did not accept that this latest defeat was the end of my dreams of driving. She made me get back in the car that very afternoon. I will always remember mum saying to me, that there was no reason that I couldn't get my license. She said that I had as good a chance and ability as anyone else applying. Mum did not accept that I was unworthy, she did not accept that I was a lesser person for my failings. Her opinion mirrored God's heart. Later that week, while driving with Mum I felt God say to me "You are Worthy!" I got my license on the third go.

This is an important lesson to learn. God does not shame us or rebuke us for our failings - the areas in our lives where we struggle. The days where we get up, only to fall back down, flat on our faces. Instead, He is our greatest supporter. I believe that He is not waiting for us at the finish line of life. He is present throughout the entire great journey that is life. It is not a race, because it is not about coming first. I do not believe that we are supposed to run and run and run through life. I have done this and achieved nothing. Instead, life is a series of starts and stops. Sometimes God is a coach on the side-line, giving us instructions and life lessons. Other times, He subs us off because there is further physical training to endure - 50 press-ups, learning to jump over hurdles etc. Then there are the moments where He runs with us - this is where we are learning to truly listen to Him and then we feel His wings beneath our feet. But finally, there are the moments where He carries us. This is the low times in life, where we are in dark valleys that appear to have no end. Throughout it all, every season, He is there. He never fails, His mercy knows no bounds.

I felt this Psalm sums up what I am trying to say:
Psalm 31
In you, o Lord, I have taken refuge
let me never be put to shame
deliver me in your righteousness
....
But I trust in you, O Lord
I say, You are my God
My times are in your hands
deliver me from my enemies
and from those who pursue me
Let your face shine on your servant
Save me in your unfailing love

Amen