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YOU'RE WORTH IT! (PART 3)
Jen Mininger • Oct 28, 2019
You're Worth It! (Part 3)
…THIS IS WHERE IT GETS A BIT MORE RAW…
This is the part where a girl stands alone… without her anchor… without her support… without her “hide behind."
This was a truly powerful experience…
The time had come for Grant to walk Charley away…time for Meagan to stand strong… alone.
As Meagan watched her two anchors walk away from her, the feelings of vulnerability and awkward rose up something fierce…
…to stand alone… to step away from her identity as “horse girl," “helper," “worker," “wife," and to just BE woman, daughter… little girl…
It felt sort of raw… She felt seen and unsure of herself...
How do you stand alone, anyway? How do you stand there without all those “valuable” identities? How do you know your still worth it when all those other things are shed away?
For Meagan? She could do this, in part… because of trust. She trusted all those truths…those facts about her true identity in Christ. She trusted God….and trusted that it was Him who inspired this whole Layered Photography process. She trusted and took the baby steps into an unknown.
And as God began to give Meagan ease in her own identity… he began to bring a drizzling rain.
I think there is something wild and freeing about being “stuck” out in the rain.
She engaged.
She felt tension... but also freedom, acceptance and personal adventure in her new dress and boots.
Meagan, you were so brave in this moment. I felt nervous for you, excited for you... and proud of you! You did it! You chose to stand alone with God… you stepped into an unknown vulnerable… and it was there that you truly got to own other parts of your identity… the deeper parts..the lasting parts, the truly rich parts of your heart!
I love how you timidly stepped into this time and then eventually, you claimed this time and space… this gift… you eventually were able to reach out and freely receive… even grab it! It was moving for me to just get to observe!
THANK YOU!
As the drizzles started to get a bit heavier we decided to make our way down the hill... because there was one more special thing that needed to be captured!
But, when we got down there we discovered that Grant and Charley were ready to go home… this could’ve been a deflating moment… a moment where Meagan could have stepped out of her identity as worthy and beloved daughter, she could have stepped back into the familiar “care giver” or”peace keeper” role.
But Meagan chose to speak her desire… to trust that the “world” would be ok for a moment while she was being cared for! Because, now, she wanted to be captured as God’s princess… His daughter… she felt that value… that true identity and didn’t need her earthly “anchors” to hide behind!
It feels like risk sometimes to speak our desire or need. What if they say “no." How will I feel? Will I feel unloved, not accepted? Will I feel selfish? Especially for Meagan who is familiar in her role of being the girl who considers others’ needs at the expense of her own self care.
So… we continued!
I placed a floral crown on her head, a simple yet beautiful circle of herbs, flowers and greens. A symbol of value and identity. A visual and physical experience to be reminded that she is worthy of being crowned the daughter of the most High King…and THAT is a beautiful thing!
Meagan is beautiful and can claim that beauty..that identity! So I gave her a chance to move around to feel ease and freedom and even twirl like a little girl who felt no shame… no hindrances!
Then, with my promptings, she began to declare her identity out loud. I listened as she spoke powerful and true words;
“I am chosen,
I am daughter of the most High King,
I am loved,
I am allowed to rest,
I am valuable”,
I am worthy”,
I am beautiful”,
I am created with purpose."
Tears fell down Meagan’s freshly “painted” cheeks as she felt God’s undeniable acceptance for her. Quite possibly similar to those feelings of acceptance and joy that she felt for her reluctant Charley.
Do you know that you are valuable?… just you… you without all the great stuff you do.
Do you know that you are liked and loved by the God of the universe even when your not doing all your awesome things?
Do you know that your worth it?
Whew… I breathe a deep breath! I am moved, I am touched… I am challenged, inspired and encouraged. I am so grateful for how God led Meagan and I through this time. I want to sit in some of these things that God showed me through Meagan’s openness. I kind of want to stay here, and in some ways… I hope that I will! I will go on and “do life”…but I hope that I will do life with more confidence of God’s love for me…His acceptance and patience with me. I hope that I will, more and more, step into my deeper true identity…just like God helped Meagan to do…and I hope that I dance and play more…maybe even in the rain!!
So so grateful for you Meagan! THANK YOU for being so trusting, open and willing to see what treasures God has for you! Thank you for showing me what “liberty work” looks like between you and God! I pray you will keep trusting Him and that you will continue to go back up the hill where God is smiling at you and waiting to offer you a fuller and richer life! An abundant life!! Love you!
And friends, I’ve just gotta put this out there… if this has created curiosity about equine therapy… then please reach out to Meagan at Take Heart… Her team of horses and counselors are professional, safe, experienced… and I just know that God is doing great things at Take Heart!
If you’d like to know more about how Layered Photography can benefit you, let's talk!
YOU WANT MORE OF MEAGAN AND CHARLEY? Here is a link to her words…
her heart, her take on this whole experience.
FRIENDS, thank you for joining me here. Thank you for choosing to receive encouragement from the encouragement that I have received! If Meagan and Charley’s posts have inspired you… then I’d love for you to share it with a friend… and maybe your friend will love it too!
Love,
Jen
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Bobbie went from full hustle to full halt and discovered what God can do in a valley season.
It ached to hear the harsh words that she knew could be her own, yet it felt so safe and reassuring to know that God sees her and wants her to have new lyrics in her own heart.
Acknowledging the dark as well as the light feels so honest and helpful in these moments. Although, I will warn, that it can also feel raw and not always easy, YET it is a kindness to ourselves when we start with honesty, isn't it? It is both, difficult and kind.
Letting go.. or saying "no" can be SO HARD ! We don't want to, we'd rather be awesome, all the time, in all the things! BUT... is that really working for you and your people? What do you need to steward (manage, maximize or multiply) better? Do you need to let go of something so that you may better steward something of more value… for a season?
Tracy leaned into the old car unafraid of the dirt and rust that she was now touching.
As I said in an email to my Belize Trip Prayer Team.. “ I am thankful. Actually, I am dumbfounded, humbled and in awe.”
C O N T A C T
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