NO LONGER "STUPID"

I have been called “forgetful” and “absentminded” from different folk, since childhood. As time passed, all of my minute mistakes had formed into a big, stinking blob of dumbness. The funk had enveloped me and strangely morphed into a form of acceptation. I began to accept those insults and saw truth in them, rather than seeing them as solely being areas of improvement. Irresponsibility had spilled over into adulthood and gave me struggles with timeliness, punctuality, and management. I have accomplished much, but my accomplishments came with possibly unnecessary hard work. My excellence was not obtained easily and I dealt with both negativity and positivity to get to where I am today. Through it all, I made it and am still making it. Because of choice to accept Christ, I am no longer “stupid.”

My story is just like yours. I worked for what I wanted. I pushed myself to get to where I desired to be. I had to create something outside the visible when I thought that I was incapable of doing the unthinkable. I had to lean on something much bigger than myself, the trees, the buildings, the world. I needed to confide in a Higher Power, one that could not be created by the human mind or have a specific face.

I reached within my soul to find it. My heart and mind helped me, too.

Because I’d started going to church at a young age, I was more receptive to the Lord. Jesus was not that complicated to understand because I had gotten years of Sunday morning lessons where I learned about who God was, is, and will always be. I learned about His son, Jesus. I learned about the Holy Spirit. I learned that all three are a whole trinity, or an amazing, powerful 3-in-1 force. I learned about the benefits of accepting Jesus and the detriments of avoiding Him. Everything made sense to me in my maturation. As a result, I knew more about the Lord by adulthood. I knew about what He could do. As time evolved, I made choices to spend time in the quiet of my home to speak to my Creator because I knew that He was accessible. I knew that He was everywhere and available (because He is so great).

Because of my decision to accept and confide in Him, my “flaws” made sense to me. I realized that through all of my confusion, I was still capable of succeeding. My setbacks, as we all have, reminded me that I needed to stay in touch with the Lord.

I could not help but to grow when I knew that I could direct my frustrations to my Creator. Not only that, I saw results after my prayers. I heard the insults less. Mistakes are still being made today, but I am more encouraged. I feel less downtrodden. And whenever I do feel guilty for slipping or “forgetting,” I run to the Lord through my heart and mind. I tell Him that I am upset with myself and I let him know how I truly feel.

So stop calling yourself bad names and stop allowing people to ruin your happiness. Just as I tell you, I tell myself. We need to remain encouraged and keep one another empowered to stay focused on our life’s mission. The Lord has given us all a spirit of power, but some of us aren’t even willing to use it.

You are intelligent and you are capable. Don’t accept “stupid,” “forgetful,” “dumb,” or any other negative term. You make mistakes, but you are still ABLE. The Lord is giving you breath. Not man.

"For God has not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind." 2 Timothy 1:7

Aricle by Neely Terrell

Author - Editor- Librarian
Twitter: @TheBrownOrange
"Know Your Worth"