My "tailor made" support group...

I thank God for the women in my life He’s surrounded me with; women who aren’t competitive, who aren’t insecure, who allow me to be myself and love me for who I am! As far back as my mind can recall; growing up, I remember girls being so competitive and so judgmental. If you didn’t fit into “their” mode, you were considered unworthy. It‘s carried over into adulthood and is imbedded into our children and the cycle continues. One thing I detest is a “clique”…why, because it separates, alienates and divides. When I decided to make Jesus my Lord and Savior, I finally (at least I thought) felt “accepted’. You see, sometimes in the so-called “church world”, you still deal with
that whole “acceptance/approval” thing. As a pastor’s wife, I didn’t wear the  ”Sunday Morning Hats”, played the piano (or sang, for that matter), spearheaded the “Women’s Tea Club”, or did all those “other” things pastor wives are “suppose” do – and if you didn’t “perform”, you somehow felt as if you just didn’t “fit the bill”.  I can look back and laugh now at how much I’ve matured, but grieve at so many young women I see, who go through that phase…and how much I want to scream at them…”don’t do it, don’t fall into the trap”! Making matters worse are the onslaught of female “reality” shows, where the “cattier” you are, the more popular you are. There’s just something about females bickering that’s entertaining to the general public. Yes... I hang my head in shame, for I too have found myself at one time or another sucked into that “abyss” of guilty pleasure”ism”…if there is such a thing. Ha! Unfortunately, many of us have a hard time separating “fact” from “friction”, I mean “fiction”. ;-) Women in the “Body” are just as insecure or sometimes (more insecure) than these women on television. It’s a sad thing to see, because Christ has made us all in His image and He’s made us all EXACTLY the way He wants us. If we were to bring ALL of our talents and gifts together, there is SO MUCH we could do as ONE. It’s the enemy’s job to keep us separated; by keeping us insecure about ourselves, keeping us in strife with one another and keeping us fighting over what we imagine to be, “our piece of the pie”. Oh how I wish we could all “just get along” *record scratches*…wishful thinking, eh? But seriously, it was not until I discovered who “I” was in Christ, did I realize that even if no one else loved me for who I was…Jesus (but, most importantly myself) did!  I say this, because as much love and acceptance Jesus has for me; if I don’t fully embrace it, I’ll NEVER (and I don’t say that lightly), walk out His plan for me! I can say at the ripe “young” age of 44, I’m having so much fun every day discovering more and more about myself, my ONLY regret though…is that it took me this long! ;-)) Can you honestly say to yourself, that you’ve truly found your place “in” Christ? When are you going to settle within yourself that you no longer have to try to ‘fit in” or ‘belong”?

1 Corinthians 12:12-27, Romans 5:8-11

All Rights Reserved copyright© 2012 Michell Pulliam “Prowess and Pearls” Devotionals by Michell Pulliam