My sweet and fierce girls started 1st and 4th last week. I want to share with you how proud I am of my sparkly beauties and also, how much I love them.  I want to share with you about how I really don’t know how I got here with them….no, not on a birds and bees level because c’mon you guys…but on a “I blinked and now one of my daughters is navigating her first year with a longer school classroom day and the other one being an upper grader”.  CRAZY!  Seriously, where does the time go?

And, it is a new season for me of not being a special ed. teacher. A season to be more available to my family; to be able to say “yes” to whatever God brings along my narrow path throughout the day, week, or month; to do some soul care; some health care; caring for others;  reading; writing; and learning.  A season of learning again as a 44 year old to be confident and comfortable in my own skin—-as the person God created me to be.

Two nights ago, I went to a women’s worship night at my church. I almost didn’t go because it was a school night and my girls had things to complete. I felt like I needed to be home to make sure homework and showers and picking out clothes for the next day was done. But, my husband made me go and I’m so glad he did. Thanks, hon.

At the conclusion of our worship time, another lady came up to me and asked if I was “Jess”. She said she had an encouraging word for someone named “Jessica or Jess”. I didn’t know her and she didn’t know me, but she asked someone else in the room if they knew a “Jessica or Jess” there. So, she asked if she could pray with me. As she held my hands, she started speaking all these words that were reminding me that I am of “great value” and “worth”; that “I matter in this world”; that I can “make a difference”. I don’t remember exactly what she said but I do remember that it made me feel seen and known. It made me feel significant in my tiny sphere of influence; and, on a grander scale to God’s purposes. Thank you to the lady who was bold enough to speak these prophetic words to a stranger named Jess.

If you feel like you don’t matter or you aren’t enough or don’t have very much worth, these words are for you too. YOU MATTER and YOU MAKE A DIFFERENCE! Just by being who God created you to be. You leave your very own unique handprint and footprint on the places you go, people you interact with, and one-of-a-kind things that you do.

This should give us wings to fly and soar to new heights. Because our creator feels that we matter, we should in turn, make every effort to make others feel this way too. A smile, a kind word, a compliment, a small or large favor, a hug, a handshake, a milk shake, or something sweet from the heart can make a world of difference to someone else today. It may not always be comfortable and our lives may be interrupted, but this is seriously the best way to live. Choosing an uncomfortable and interruptible lifestyle is a courageous and kingdom building way of life. This is not always easy, but it is beautiful.

Be brave on the narrows, my friends. Because YOU MATTER make someone else feel special, seen, and known today too.

P.S.  I’m including this starfish story because it illustrates the beauty of how YOU can & do make a difference.