On April 24th, I had the opportunity to go to my first Beth Moore simulcast with a blog buddy, Laura and my sweet mom. I see many more of those in my future! Meeting together with a group of believers and being reminded of how much God loves us and the things that He wants for our life is really life-changing. For me it was anyway. Beth wrote a new book, So Long, Insecurity, and the simulcast was about the insecurity many women face. No one talks about it very much because they’re too insecure to admit it! 300,000 other women attended the event. Yes, three hundred THOUSAND women. Tell me that’s not an epidemic! Maybe it’s because this generation of women is expected to graduate college, marry well, have a successful career, then have beautiful children and keep everyone happy. That’s a lot of pressure, girls! The one thing that stuck out the most for me during the simulcast is that I’m not just making the decision for myself. Deciding to be secure won’t only affect me. It will affect Avery. I am her biggest female influence and I will be for a while. I can’t waste one second of this precious time in her life. How could I expect her to have self-confidence and security if I am lacking? They learn by example.
After the simulcast, I continued to read the book that I had been reading for a few weeks. One morning one sentence jumped out at me so much that I immediately felt tears. It simply stated, “I am who He says I am.” Maybe that doesn’t do for you what it did for me. Maybe you should read it again, slower. I.AM.WHO.HE.SAYS.I.AM! And that’s all I need to be! He says in Proverbs 31 “She is clothed with strength and dignity.” Isn't that all we need to know to not second guess everything that we do? To not stress when we can't juggle all of our balls in perfect motion? It is still a daily struggle. In fact, the night of the simulcast we were invited to a friend’s birthday party. As I walked up I realized I was the only one without a boob job (oh and tan legs and not wearing a sundress). I knew it was my first test and I think I passed! I don’t need a boob job, or tan legs or a sundress to be who He says I am. There is such freedom in that. Knowing that I’m clothed in strength and dignity, whether or not I’m physically clothed in the cutest outfit, makes life so much easier. Thank God there isn’t a scripture in the Bible that says we need to look a certain way to be who He wants us to be. Beth went on to say that 300,000 women is a lot. Maybe we won’t change society. I doubt I’ll ever checkout my groceries next to a People magazine without someone who’s a size 0 and airbrushed to look perfect. But maybe we could change the Christian culture of women. And maybe not. Maybe I’ll just change the way that Avery looks at herself in twenty years. For me, that’s enough. I am who He says I am. And that is all that I am. And that is all that I have to be! Thank you, Jesus!
