By Do you ever envy someone else’s story?
That girl in your book? Your best friend? Some famous movie star or singer?
It’s something moms and daughters have in common: we often compare our lives to others and believe our own story is less important… boring… hard… maybe even downright painful.
But girls, I want you to know how incredible your story is. There are two good reasons for you not to get hung up on someone else’s story:
- God has a purpose for you, and
- He’s working everything out for good.
So, first of all, know this… the God who paints the sunsets formed you.
He knit you together in your mother’s womb (Psalm 139:13). Your quirks, looks, and interests delight Him! The desires of your heart have been planted there by Him. Your talents and passions come from His design!
“For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” Ephesians 2:10
When I was young, I dreamed of serving God in another country. I loved stories of adventurous women like Amy Carmichael, who rescued children from slavery in India.
And guess what… God allowed me to live out a similar dream in the country of Haiti. My husband and I not only helped children without families, but also got to adopt three amazing kids of our own.He used the desires of my heart to do something meaningful. And He’s going to do that in your life too.
Secondly, God is working through all the hard stuff in order to accomplish the good stuff.
Sometimes we look at someone else’s story and are fooled into thinking theirs is full of “awesome” while ours is full of “hard.”
The truth is, we all have the hard. We all have pain and problems. We’re all afraid we’re just not enough.
If all I told you about my life was that God helped my dreams come true, you’d get a glimpse of the “awesome.” But there was a lot of frustration and difficulty in there too.
It took us nine whole YEARS to adopt our kids! And let me tell you, those years in Haiti were hot (no air-conditioning)!
The worst part was that even though our kids lived with us in Haiti, they couldn’t ever leave the country with my husband and me to visit our family and friends in the U.S. The paperwork was completely stuck. Sometimes our problems made me angry. And sometimes — like when thieves broke in — I was full of fear.
But God taught me so much there — especially how to trust Him when things don’t make sense. And even though I doubted Him sometimes, He hadn’t forgotten about me.
A big earthquake hit Haiti in 2010, and there were so many problems, we were sure our adoptions would never be completed. But in the middle of that tragic event, God did the most unexpected thing… About one week after the earthquake hit, our kids and hundreds of other Haitian kids were allowed to join their American families in the U.S.! Our prayers were finally answered.
Where’s your story right now? Boring? Hang on… it will change! Hard? Keep trusting Jesus! In Romans 8:28, He promises to work all things (even the bad things) for the good of those who love Him.
Wherever you are, remember God sees you, loves you, and is writing an incredible one-of-a-kind story through your life.
- Don’t be jealous of the others. Be a girl of faith!
- Trust Him. Love Him. Follow Him.
- There’s no telling how He’s going to use you!
About Jennifer Ebenhack
Hi! I’m Jennifer, and I’m delighted to meet you here! I’m a homeschooling mom of five, a life coach, and a writer, thankful to enjoy all those things in the sunshine of South Florida. I love to laugh, listen, and share encouragement with anyone going through a hard time. You can me at JenniferEbenhack.com, my Facebook page, Google+, Pinterest, or Twitter. For encouragement in mothering, check out a couple popular articles here and here. Also, I’d love to bless you with a gift! Click here for instructions to receive a free copy of my ebook: Take Courage: Choosing faith on my journey of fear.
