I don’t know about you, but sometimes I need a fresh perspective of who I am.

Sometimes my idea of “me” is nothing like the picture of me that God sees.

And because I can’t see me like He sees me, life gets hectic and I end up acting and reacting with my To-Do List in mind, instead of thriving out of a clear idea of God’s view of me.

Recently I realized I was living out of a spirit of “hurry up.” I was rushing and planning ahead and trying to “fix” my problems, Bob’s problems, Jenny’s problems, and save the world, all while brushing my teeth!

My motto?
Get. Stuff. Done. And Do It RIGHT!

I’d run along, working as quickly as possible, trying to lengthen my time and shorten MY To-Do List with every passing minute.

Sounds awesome, maybe even Biblical…
Be a hard worker! Don’t be lazy! Get Stuff Done!

But, I was missing something…

… Hello, Holy Spirit!!!!

I hadn’t asked Him what He’d like to do WITH me today. I just assumed since I was in constant recognition of His Presence and since He knew about my To-Do List, He would just sort of BE THERE, cheering me on through my chaotic thoughts and actions.

My rushing around (although efficient) had taken my focus off of who I really was. I was missing the happiness in the happenings of life.

Don’t get me wrong. I loved the work I was doing… Yet, my actions hadn’t reflected that fact for quite some time.

So I paused… (Insert deep breathe)…

And I gave God a chance to answer my very simple question.

“Father, how do You see me?”

I knew His answer to this question would align my day, my schedule, my work, my thoughts and my plans; I wanted a visual goal, a focal point, a clear understanding of who I was to Him so that He could guide me- step by step- into that mature woman I was convinced He wanted me to be.

What He showed me was not spectacular nor did it have a thing to do with my oh so perfect “To-Do” List.

I saw a vivid color-filled movie of myself, a young lady with big curly hair, laughing and smiling in the sunshine.

He showed me skipping in a twirly yellow dress, covered in flowers, dancing along a sidewalk on some residential street…
Happy and Stress Free!

To you this may not mean much, but to me it meant the world.

First of all, as a funny note, I NEVER wear yellow… so I knew the Lord was speaking…

The Holy Spirit knew I had a lot to do. He knew school, family and ministry obligations were hanging in the back of my mind, waiting to be conquered.

I was moving, but not motivated. I was productive, but more panicky than passionate, I was focused with no fun.

But… He also knew…

At my core, all I was… and all He wanted me to be… was a joyful young girl who loved dresses and twirling, laughing and skipping, smiling and dancing…. WITH HIM.

I saw myself in a way I had not expected and it brought me to tears.

The Holy Spirit did not tell me to stop all of my efficient work and kneel and pray. He did not tell me to repent for all the days that had gone by in a blur with no excitement, no joy.

He didn’t show me a picture of a successful lawyer carrying a briefcase nor an Evangelist on a microphone, changing the world.

He let me see me, as He sees me… And that made all the difference.

From that point on, I knew that unfinished tasks were not the end of the world, that I could do my best, then rest.

I knew that JOY was my NATURE, my CALLING, my MISSION and a new excitement birthed inside of me!

My “works” were good, but the way in which I accomplished them had to be revolutionized!

The me that is uniquely me … the me that will set the world free… is the contagiously happy kid that pours out love and makes others laugh and sing!

It’s so NOT super spiritual…

The ingredient to my life that was missing, was simple FUN.

You see, when you view yourself as The Holy Spirit sees you, you connect with Him intimately. You get a passionate peace so covered in joy, you cannot wait to follow His instructions.

The Holy Spirit is a gentlemen. Sometimes He just sits and watches as we struggle through “our” tasks and pray without listening for His reply.

He patiently waits for us to invite Him to our chaos and say three little words.

“Hello, Holy Spirit.”

Those words changed my heart and my perspective.

We don’t always have to be so bogged down by the “things” we must do. We need to remember to use those sweet and beautiful pieces of ourselves that God likes to see best.

Our hearts, our unique perspectives, our wit. Our innate ability to make others smile, laugh, or understand Him more.

Once you see you, like He sees you, your daily, weekly, and even life’s ambition will have a wonderfully exciting TARGET!

He sees everyone uniquely. So talk to The Holy Spirit today. Ask Him to take a snapshot of who you are to Him.

You may be amazed at what you see.

Catch The Wave,
Victoria Edwards