You are Enough.

You are enough.These are words I have to repeat to myself every day.You are enough. Why is that so hard to say? Why is that so hard to believe?I scroll through my social media and feel sick. "You'll never be pretty enough, smart enough, creative enough to make a difference," says that sinister voice. Yet I continue to scroll, and as I do, those lies dissolve like salt in an open wound.You are enough.I sit on my bed, the evening dusk erasing the shadows of midday and covering the world in deep night. As I lay in the dark, I begin to pray. What starts as a simple conversation with God soon becomes hostile and accusatory. "So why did I get stuck with the short end of the stick, huh? How come I can't be more like so-and-so?" Immediately, I feel a wave of shame. I am ashamed of my dissatisfaction. God has gifted me abundantly, but I still choose to see what I don't have. God has granted me with talents and a defined purpose, but I still choose to covet. Again, I feel sick, but not with discontent--with foolishness.You are enough.I begin to evaluate my intentions. Am I trying to glorify God or am I trying to aim the spotlight at myself? More shame rushes over me. As the lies inside me quiet, I realize how warped my thoughts had become. I was the child surrounded by toys on Christmas morning, donning a glum face and grumbling about how I hadn't gotten what I wanted. As I mull over my thoughts, I come to realize how incredibly blessed I am. As memories come flooding in, I am reminded of the completeness I feel when doing what I'm truly meant to do. God's design for my life was never meant to be a carbon copy of someone else's, and that is apparent by the overwhelming joy I feel when using my own gifts to glorify God!For so long I had been trying to reshape my talents to fit the world's standard of success and value--it was like cramming the proverbial square peg into a round hole, and it never worked. Finally, the burden just became too heavy to bear. But even after all the rebelling, I still heard those comforting words, "you are enough."So I am learning to trust God when He presents His gifts and says, "this is enough."I am learning to look in the mirror and say, "you are enough."words by Kendall Bolam and photo by Hailey Pierce