With Jesus, I am. And it’s good and right to say so. I am already amazing. He has made me with specific capabilities and gifts and skills and passions and wirings AND THAT IS GOOD! My head gets it. I get it for me, and I especially get it for you!
My heart … not so much. My head “gets” lots of stuff that resonates with my heart but doesn’t seem to take root. I can talk myself out of something true faster than I can say I want to believe it. My brain moves a hundred miles a second. I can string thoughts and rabbit trails together like nobody’s business. In the time it takes me to read one sentence, I’ve already thought of 12 more that tell me it applies to everyone except me.
The upside of that (which I’m only able to say because I’m reading this amazing study and there’s a strengths chart that has you circle your strengths) is that I’m highly imaginative, I have a lot of creative ideas, I have a great memory and can make split second spiritual connections, and I love to encourage people in their own pursuits of God’s plans and wisdom. God’s given me a ton of wisdom, and I can only attribute that to my 38 years of asking God to give me some of His. And some crazy belief He has in me that I’ll use it for His glory.
Yet, in spite of knowing that to be true, my mind still trips me up. And I know all about needing to be in the Word and fill my mind with truth and meditate on stuff that’s right and good and noble and blah blah holy blah. Again, I get it … but I also get confused and bored when I read my Bible.
So about a year ago, I started Scripture and Prayer Doodling. It morphed out of stuff I found on Pinterest about Bible Journaling, books I read from Amazon like “Praying In Color” and my own love of writing things down, praying, and drawing.
The basic premise is I read a chapter or few verses in my Bible. Or I read a section of a current book/study that I’m into. And then I pick a few lines that jump out to me, write them down in my Doodle Journal (a sketchbook), give it some lines and color and artistic beauty, and then I fill in my prayers around it.
I have found this to be the best way for me to focus in on something that’s true. Something that’s challenging. And something I sincerely want to take root in both my mind and heart. The picture I posted below is today’s doodle. I took a belief statement from Holley Gerth’s study “You’re Already Amazing” and wrote it down. Enhanced it with some color and framework. Read it a few times. And wrote in a few words or phrases that are my prayers for today based on this amazing truth.
It’s not easy for me to share my writing or my doodling. It’s pretty easy for me to share my struggles and doubts. It’s getting easier for me to follow God’s leading to encourage others through this blog He’s allowed me to have.
So for today … let’s believe we’re #alreadyamazing. With Jesus, we are. Now go doodle it and let a friend know they’re amazing too!