This Is My Story

New car! new house! new job! I’m married or I’m engaged. I got a promotion! I’m living my best life, What about you? These are common lines that can get us caught up in comparison. I know for myself I fell into the trap comparison. I found myself feeling low because, my friends graduated from college with Bachelor’s and I have an Associate’s and couple more years to go.

​All my close friends are in a relationship or married. I was waiting for it to be my turn. I find that when start thinking this way it’s a downward spiral. “ I thrift shop because it’s cheap and everyone is buying name brands. Everyone is getting homes and I just got a studio apartment. I have had the same job for a year now and all I received was a raise of a couple of cents. I’m single and I’m not even mingling. Am I doing enough? Maybe if I try more I will be enough? I found in my journal the other day something that my pastor said Comparing yourself to others and pride is the death of the Spirit and the evil that is mankind Those words left me convicted and helped me shift my perspective. A lesson that God has been teaching me over this past couple of months is that these other people achievements are a part of their stories. They are not apart of my story.

A lot times in life we are not invited into the ugly parts of people life. We are not able to see the full picture just what they want us to see. As women in this time we get caught up in other peoples stories. Facebook and Instagram don’t help the matter but we need to understand the differences. Our stories are personal to us. I know my pain, I know my victories. I know the small and big steps that got me to each level when I was fighting my battle. For myself, 2018 was one of the hardest years so far in my life I had to learn to take up arms against the enemy and fight back.
I learn to live like 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
“Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.”

I find that if I spend my time giving thanks I don’t have time to compare myself to others. If I am thankful for what is already done then what isn’t done I can trust in the Lord for. In 2018 The spiritual growth I went through was remarkable for myself and if I didn’t have such a hard year I don’t think I would be the daughter of Christ, prayer warrior, follower, and the worshiper I am today. To hear other people tell me that I encourage their faith is truly an honor to me. When I hear the sweet encouragement or see the fruit of my labor the pain and fight is worth it. This is my story on the surface level, I am Emmanuelle, 22 years old, Single, working 40 hours a week, full-time student, living paycheck to paycheck but these things listed do not define me. God defines me he is the author of my life and I know he has great plans for me. Jeremiah 29:11 says
“For I know the plans I have for you” — this is the Lord’s declaration — “plans for your well-being, not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.”

I had to check my heart and decide who I am going to let define me. I had to tell myself that comparing myself will get me nowhere. This is my story and your story may be different than mine. You may face harder time maybe your story is filled with different trials don’t let other people story impact yours it’s not yours you have different trials that are personal to you. you felt the pain, the victory, you felt that emotion. If they have a new car , new house, if their relationship status changed let that be a reminder of God‘s plan for them and that God has a plan for you we serve a good God who will never make us suffer from nothing or in vain. Wherever you are in life worship him right there be thankful right there. This world may tell us to aim for the biggest or the newest thing but stay where God has placed you he has put you there for a reason and go wherever he tells you to go. Follow Him and you will see that your story is far more beautiful because it is personally yours!