May Is Here! + Kicking Fear To The Curb

Hi friends, May is finally here!!! :D Yaaaay! Wanna know why I’m so excited about May? Well for starters, it’s my birth month (hint, it’s AU day ;) ), my mom’s birth month, and I finish up undergrad this month! (the day before my birthday!) Finallyyyyy! I tell you, I’ve had it with school. I’m so tired of having my face in academic stuff and constantly studying, especially at the moment for my very last finals. So seeing May arrive just lets me know that I’m going to have my life back soon. I can’t wait.

Undoubtedly May is my favorite month and I’m pretty sure it still would have been even if it wasn’t my birth month. There’s just something about it. MAY. Simple, and yet so beautiful and compelling.

Today’s a holiday here- Labour Day. But of course, I’m stuck with books to study for my finals. :|

 Via

Oh well, before I get carried away about this special month of mine, lemme share this super inspiring poem on the very first day of this beautiful month by Marianne Williamson.

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.
It is our light, not our darkness
That most frightens us.

We ask ourselves
Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?
Actually, who are you not to be?
You are a child of God.

Your playing small
Does not serve the world.
There's nothing enlightened about shrinking
So that other people won't feel insecure around you.

We are all meant to shine,
As children do.
We were born to make manifest
The glory of God that is within us.

It's not just in some of us;
It's in everyone.

And as we let our own light shine,
We unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.
As we're liberated from our own fear,
Our presence automatically liberates others. 

The first time I heard this poem was from the movie, Akeelah and the Bee. That was about six years ago. And these words have since then been stuck in my mind. I’m sure they aren’t going to fade away from my memory any time soon. I have bits of it pasted on my wall beside my bed. (Yeah, I like it that much.)

As we welcome this new month, I want to urge you on to step out in faith and start to live the meaningful life God made you to live. I want to remind you of how wonderful you are. You don’t have to be like someone before you realize you are special. Do some soul searching and ask God what gifts He’s placed in you and go out there and make life happen with those gifts. 

I want to ask you to look back over the last four months and see if you did the things you set out to do in the beginning of the year. (I blogged about New Year plans here.) Are you on track? If you aren’t, it’s not too late. The first quarter is gone but we have two more quarters left in the year, make it count. You can start living that fearless life God needs you to live, the life which speaks loud and clear that you are not ashamed to be known as a child of God, a child of wonder who has been bought with the precious blood of Jesus. 

The clock is ticking sweetheart. We are not promised tomorrow. Today is what we have, and we might as well make the best of it. Let go of all the things that are tying you to the ground and take those bold steps to make your dreams a reality. Living fearlessly has been something dear to my heart lately. I blogged about it here, and there. 

One of my favourite verses in the Bible says:

“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hid. Nor do men light a lamp and put it under a bushel, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in Heaven.” Matthew 5:14-16

Dear one, stop trying to belittle yourself. Stop trying so hard to convince yourself that you don’t matter. I’ve been there, doesn’t do any good. You really do matter, that’s why you are breathing at this very moment, that’s why you are still alive. Your heart is beating in the left side of your chest right now because of a great purpose. Each heartbeat is a reminder of a purpose God needs you to fulfil.

“We know that in everything God works for good with those who love Him, who are called according to His purpose.” Romans 8:28 

You need to trust His plan. Jeremiah 29:11 says “For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and hope.”

Comparing yourself to others who you deem to be better at something than you, would just make you feel inadequate and less than. It’s the worst. Stop hurting yourself and stop the unnecessary comparisons. She may be smarter than you or she may easily make friends than you. But so what? You are good at something others aren’t good at too. So just focus on your strengths and quit beating yourself up. Remember that we have different personalities, so know yourself and your strengths. We are each moulded uniquely and intricately by the hands of God. 

“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” Ephesians 2:10

The good thing is, God loves us just the way we are. We don’t have to be smart or good looking like someone else before He loves us. He created us after all and there’s a purpose for each one of us to fulfil before our time on this earth runs out. Make sure you spend your time wisely before it slips away. So no more excuses, no more procrastination. Ask God for your purpose and talents and passionately pursue them for His glory. Focus on your journey and allow God to make something beautiful out of your hurts, brokenness, hardships, guilt, regrets and pain. Isaiah 61:3 says He bestows on us a crown of beauty instead of ashes. 

  

“But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” I will all the more gladly boast of my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities; for when I am weak, then I am strong.” 2 Corinthians 12:9,10

May you see some beautiful, meaningful and happy times this month. Philippians 1:6 is my prayer as I trust my Father to bring to a beautiful completion this month, some things He began in me some years ago. The verse says “And I am sure that He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.”  This month is extra special because it marks the end of my four year journey in pursuit of a degree and it marks the beginning of a new year for me. :)

May you allow the things that need to die away in your life do so as you embrace the new things that’ll be born in you. Let your light shine dear, someone needs it to find their way. Be strong in the Lord & have yourself a meaningful and magnificent May! xoxo

Delali.