Hmmmm.....Mixed Bag

A friend posted this quote the other day and I've been thinking about it since.  "If you're struggling and your people are just sitting there, watching you struggle. They aren't your people." At first, it made me sad, but then as I thought about it more, I realized the truth in it.

The other thought that comes to mind is "Not everyone will understand your journey. That's ok, it's not theirs to understand." And again, that's true. Here's the thing. I'm not like everyone else. I've spent so much of my life trying to fit in and be like everyone else/to be approved/accepted/liked that I've missed out on being who God made me to be for much of that time. All those years slipped by because of my own insecurity. How sad. One of many things God is teaching me lately is WHOSE I am. That means what He has called me to do. What He is asking of me. And, again, that is something people might not understand. They might not accept. They might not support. As you may know, I started a new website recently to help women find freedom to be who God made them to be. And in my usual fashion, my expectations were way off, so I'm learning and growing in the process {isn't refining fun?} And, it's happening again. Friends don't understand. I have to remind myself, that's ok, it's not theirs to understand. Obedience to Him is more important than if I am accepted/liked/popular/etc. In a training I did, they kept saying "you're not here to be popular, you're here to share your purpose." Ugh, that is so challenging for me. Again, it's a constant reminder that I'm swimming upstream. And, along the way, people will misunderstand, they won't get it, some may question my intentions. And, again, I have to remind myself to guard my thoughts and renew my mind.

Does anyone else struggle with this, or am I alone in this? I'm sincerely curious so please let me know.

Thanks,
Melissa P.S. As I hit "publish" on this, God hit me with a thought...maybe the website is just as much about my freedom as it is the women in the community. #hmmm