Imagine and Live a Bold Brave Life

 

Be bold enough to use your voice,

brave enough to listen to your heart,

and strong enough to live the life you’ve always imagined.

–Author unknown

 

This week I pulled out my acrylic paints which have collected dust in the closet for several years. I was inspired to create a crimson white-washed background on a canvas and then paint this quote in the foreground to hang in my bedroom. While I was painting I asked myself why I let dust collect on my paints. My thoughts kept coming back to this quote.

 

The gift of painting had been a voice for me to enjoy and reveal the talents God had given me to express the wonders of His creation. Like my painting I can see many times in my life when I lost my voice or I chose to be silent and squelch my gifts. Somewhere deep inside I still held on to the belief that if I morphed my interests and behaviors into someone and made them my all, I might receive and maintain their attention, affection, and even love. This was unhealthy and got me into trouble every time. As I’ve grown in my relationship with Christ and understand His character and example I can see that I was looking for others to fill the hole only God can. Only God can be our “everything”.

 

The greatest privilege of personally walking with Jesus over time is that you are open to His revelation. He will show you where you are unbalanced and unhealthy. The next step is to be brave enough to listen to Him and allow your heart to be strong enough to live the life you’ve always imagined. That means I have to trust in God’s strength and live to my fullest potential and expect amazing things. The leap of belief to knowing happens from your mind to your heart. It can seem as big as the Grand Canyon but God is the bridge that fills this gap because He sees us as His cherished daughters and sons, not the broken way we see us.  

 

I have learned to keep my voice by keeping my balance in Him. The price of silence has been great for me. In Christ I no longer have to stifle who I am because now I know who I am in Christ. I have the unconditional love, grace, and mercy of the one who created me, who died for me, and who still loves me.