What Women Really Want- Part 1

For most of us, it's not a hard question. Men would say its a mystery bigger than the Bermuda Triangle.Our creator designed us with common longings, desires that when unmet leave us broken. We long to be loved and accepted. Each of us crave worth and security. These wants are woven into all of us, and we pursue them. Relentlessly.Sadly, our lives often resemble a wild goose chase- looking for love in all the wrong places. (Thanks Waylon Jennings, for lyrics that I'm not sure how I know.) We waste so much of our lives trying to satisfy a thirst that only God can.He has what we want. We can stop chasing the goose, catch our breath and rest in Him. We are loved, accepted, worthy, and secure. God said so. He made it so.Girls, this is not a truth that I live every moment. I forget who I am. I don't feel worthy and accepted and I start running after that stupid goose. He has a new scarf around his neck that would make me feel pretty. He has my to do list in his mouth. If I could just finish all that "doing" I would feel worthy. I keep thinking I'm going to get it together one day...Grace is not a goose. (That's kinda catchy. I just might be onto something ladies.)What I'm learning is that as I let Jesus be the super hero, hang up my cape, and rest in the truth of who I am, then I am free to pursue his purposes for my life. I can pursue good health, mothering my crazy children, and writing about it all without that nagging thought that I lived with for years, "it's not enough."That's the thing about grace. When we live in grace, we live in freedom to pursue God's design for us. When we are convinced of who we are and whose we are, we can confidently walk out his plans.I can't really put into words how deeply I desire to live out God's purpose for me. Just that word alone, "purpose", both amazes and comforts me. To know that I was designed, created as a vessel for something beautiful helps me take in a big breath of hope and exhale joy and gratitude. God created this fruit loop of a girl to do good works that he planned out for me! [For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Ephesians 2:10]In Psalms 139, David writes that he was "woven together" in his mother's womb. David knew that his creator was intimately familiar with every detail of his being just as a painter knows every stroke on his canvas. Every line and color was carefully chosen to convey the artist's message.You and I are his message, his masterpiece. He purposefully created us so that we, in turn, can purposefully bring glory to our artist, our God. We breathe in a full breath of hope as we embrace the truth that we bear his name, his signature. Then we live our lives exhaling joy that such love was lavished on us.I confessed not long ago to living for only my comfort- cookies and movies. I was an ostrich with my head in the sand, avoiding life because it was just too much work. Like many times, I had lost sight of the value that my creator had given me. Great works of art are valuable because of the artists who paint them. Every masterpiece was designed by a master. So not living my life intentionally is like sticking a one-of-a-kind Michaelangelo out in our tool shed with the weed eater and camping gear.If you're like me, you find yourself at the end of the day wondering, "what in the heck was this day all about? I did my thing. I mothered, I worked, I loved my husband, and even fed the dog. Just like the day before. And the day before that."I did not set any goals for 2015. Ambitious. I know. What I do desire, what I hear God calling me to is purpose. I hear him asking me to live with purpose.  How beautiful, an intentional life. To be honest, that sounds refreshing coming from the girl who tried to live life perfectly.As I've meditated on this purposeful living thing, I realize that it goes against my independent, spontaneous, "I want everything to be a party" personality. I'm fairly certain that I'm not experiencing Christ or his abundance to the fullest on my steady diet of Double Chocolate Milano's and my fashion board on Pinterest. To live out God's design for me intentionally requires dependence, planning, and perseverance. Dependence-I want to completely trust in Jesus- his strength and wisdom.Planning-I want to spend time considering how to best use the time, gifts, and resources God has given me. He has given me what I need to accomplish his purpose.Perseverance-I think I'll stick my head in the ground for real if I start another year off well and fizzle out about halfway through. This is not a sprint, but a marathon.Will you join me in a year of purpose? Will you pray now asking your creator to reveal to you more of his purpose for your life? Will you speak life to someone else who needs to inhale a breath of hope?For I alone know the plans for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but what is unseen. For what is seen in temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. 1 Corinthians 2:18