**I’ve had this post saved as a draft for a bit and on Monday I listened to a podcast by Michelle Reed that had sooo much confirmation in it about this same topic and it was soo encouraging to me. CLICK HERE to listen to it on apple podcasts!**
Do you tend to compare the events and milestones in your life with those around you?? I know I do and I catch myself doing it a lot… comparison is such a dangerous trap that’s even easier to fall into with social media.
Comparison causes us to put our eyes on what someone else has and take our eyes off of what God has placed before us.
It’s easy to feel left out or forgotten when thoughts like “all my friends are ____” or “I wish I was ____” start to invade your mind… But, what if, instead of comparing ourselves to others, we learned to celebrate the differences in our stories?! Instead of wishing your life looked like someone else’s, what if we embraced the creativity and intention of our God who does not rewrite or duplicate stories!
I’ve learned to look at the differences in my story as a blessing… If there’s one thing I wish you could know with all your heart after reading this it would be that God did not make a mistake with you or your story; your life was written and purposed by Him before the foundation of the world! (Ephesians 1:4) Nothing is by coincidence or accident, you are not forgotten or being left out. If you feel like God is withholding something good from you, you can trust Him when He says that He gives good and perfect gifts. If it was good for you, you would have it by now. He has something else for you right now as you seek Him and wait on Him.
He has something that was created specifically for you! Just because your story is different doesn’t make it less valuable or better than others; instead, it makes it perfectly created and authored for you by your Heavenly Father. What’s for them is not for you…don’t let comparison rob you of your story! Don’t let it rob you of what’s right in front of you; cause you are there for a reason. If all our timelines and stories were the same, how boring and predictable would that be? When our lives aren’t matching up with our expectations we tend to complain, grumble, and become discontent where God has us. But, when we do that, we’re complaining about the very things that God has preordained for us. When you’re able to embrace the differences in your story, it frees you to be able to celebrate with those who seem to be getting what you wanted. Your satisfaction shouldn’t come from things “going the way you hoped” — but your fulfillment should come from being satisfied in Christ no matter how your age and milestones are lining up.
*story time* So, a few years ago, a lady I barely knew asked me if I was in a relationship; when I said “no” she asked my age (I was 24 at the time) and then proceeded to tell me “well, be careful…cause the older you get the harder it becomes to get married because you become more independent and it’s harder to create a life with someone when u let ‘too much time’ pass.” I remember feeling so disheartened over her remark and I think I responded with something like, “well, I know God is in control of my future so I’m not worried…” But her words really pierced my heart and I replayed them in my mind, thinking *in my sassy inner dialogue* “well lady, I don’t really have control over what age I get married!! Trust me, it’s not easy watching friends younger than me get engaged and married…but I can’t do anything to change that!!!” hahaha I’ve always been thankful for the independence and freedom I have but her remarks made it seem like less of a blessing and more of a curse that was going to doom me for the rest of my days.
The craziest thing about all that is the fact I still remember that interaction… for some reason that conversation has taken up space in my memory for far too long. It’s reminded me that the words you speak to others hold great weight, be careful of the words you share with others. What she said made me feel like the older I got the smaller my chances are of becoming a wife and having a family of my own one day. But what a lie of the enemy!! He wants us in a place of hopelessness and despair; where we believe his lies and dwell on people’s careless remarks instead of dwelling on God’s faithfulness. Pay attention to the thoughts that appear when you feel discouraged or lonely — whose words are they? God’s? Others? Your own? Not everything deserves to be replayed in your memory. Be careful of the thoughts you allow to grow and take root—because, before you know it, they become your beliefs…no matter how untrue they are and you’ll find yourself exchanging the peace and joy you have in Jesus for unbelief and doubt.
Life’s too short to miss out on what God has for you. Don’t believe the lie that your chances are “getting smaller” as you grow older. Instead, look at the gift life truly is, your life isn’t waiting to begin until ______ happens. It’s happening right now, where you are. Our God loves working beautiful miracles and writing stories like no other, so: enjoy the story He is writing for you. Instead of focusing on what you don’t have, look at all the opportunities He’s given you and all the things you are able to do in this season of life that you wouldn’t be able to experience otherwise!
As time passes, may you grow in faith and expectancy, cause we serve a God who doesn’t write boring stories!