Be who God made you to be. Don't fit "the mold"

Today on my way home I called my mom, as usual. I was talking to her and trying to explain a few things I just didn't understand and things that have been bothering me for a few years now. She reminded me of a story which later triggered a memory in me.

I feel like more and more these days people are pressured to fit this specific mold. May it be as a teacher, a Christian, mother, surgeon, anything. I can grasp being held to a standard. You wouldn't want to go to meet your surgeon and him being hungover from the rad party he crashed the night before. You have a certain level of expectation for that profession. However, people are setting their standards TOO high and not accepting the package deal.

At any rate, my story. When I was about 14 my church at the time was getting ready to gain a new youth pastor. In our church, since it was a paid position, we held interviews with 4 of our most trusted elders and 4 teenagers. Believe me when I say I had never felt so much of an honor than at that moment to be chosen as one of the 4. I remember the adults asking questions then we got to start. I started firing away. I had always been more of the verbal one in the group so I went at them like a hound dog on a cheeseburger.

One of the adults, whom I highly respected, told my mother that he was impressed by my level of boldness and strength in my relationship with Christ. Recently I have forgotten my boldness! A great friend of mine told me that he enjoyed speaking with me because I didn't waver in my convictions. 

Then I was reminder that during youth one night my wonderful youth pastor was explaining about living outside of the box and being content in the person I was. I remember standing outside of a masking tape square and telling myself that I wasn't to conform to the ways of the world.

Living the Christian life has never been easy. I've lost many friends, a best friend if 15 years, and been placed on a target for judgement. People look at you and wait for you to fail so they can point and laugh!!! So as I was having dinner this evening I realized something. im not supposed to conform to this world but the ways that people think I should be living as well!

I am who I am and God made me to be me. I am out of the ordinary, gut busting hilarious, filled with joy, passionate, driven, gifted, and bold. I have forgotten lots of things about myself until an old friend saw me for the first time in 10 years and the first thing that was said was, "are you still singing and acting?" When I said no he was in shock and said, well you should be because you should never hide that gift!!

I guess this is a warning of sorts. I'm gonna start being bold, speaking up, and living the life with the Deborah calling that I was given!! And please be encouraged to remember who YOU are in Christ and rekindle that.