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When You Struggle to Fit In

in (In)Courage· being in· Confidence

Snow_Snowboots

To put it bluntly, there are seasons when it’s just dang hard being a person.

And for this person here, seasons when I often feel this way are seasons when I struggle to fit in.

At the beginning of this new year, we may feel that way on a broad political scale. And if we narrow down this notion of fitting in to a really personal level, it can manifest itself in any one of a thousand other ways, too.

At (in)courage today, I tell a story of a conversation I had with my friend Salena about being on the outside looking in, something that presents itself in individual and common ways. When it shows up in my life, I want to do all kinds of things to fix the problem. I want to wave my arms wildly and get noticed. I want to jostle my way into the front of the crowd. Or I want to go the opposite direction and move completely inward, believing I’m too small to count. Either way, I’m anxious to do something that will bandage up that tender, hurting place in my heart.

Friendship_Belonging

But what if there’s a third option that doesn’t go to one extreme or the other?

Read more here, and I’d love for you to chime in with your own thoughts and experiences. 

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Filed Under: (In)Courage, being in, Confidence

« Living Within the Tension
That Time I Yelled So Loud My Kid Hid Under a Table (What I Wish I Had Then that I’m Glad to Have Now) »

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An accomplishment for this week: Taking daily walk An accomplishment for this week: Taking daily walks outside, because outside is where the pretty lives even if it's also where the cold lives, too. ⁠⁠
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Another accomplishment this week included introducing my daughter to an '80's staple of pop culture: Dirty Dancing.💃🏻🕺🏻 My inner 8th grader still knows all the songs, and my daughter was able to understand the origins of "Nobody puts Baby in a corner." and that it *doesn't* refer to an actual baby. What can I say? I've found one homeschooling subject I feel qualified to teach. ⁠⁠✅
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Trusting God with the ones you love ~ I found this Trusting God with the ones you love ~ I found this easier to do when the ones I love lived in my house full time. It turns out that having them move out from under my roof is a real lesson in seeing the holes of my trust.⁠⁠⁠
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You might say learning this has been A WHOLE THING. ⁠⁠⁠
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I first saw this book on @annvoskamp's instagram feed, and since Ann never steers me wrong, I promptly bought it and am now halfway through it. ⁠I skip some chapters as they don't (yet if ever) apply, but those that *do* apply have been a real help and comfort. ⁠⁠⁠
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In short, author @jodie_berndt's prayer prompts and stories reflecting an array of circumstances and outcomes has been a real gift to my mama heart. ⁠⁠⁠
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⁠Being a parent is hard no matter the age of our kids, but I'm so thankful for books like this that ease our trials and deepen our trust along the way.⁠⁠⁠
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This verse came alongside me like a friend not onc This verse came alongside me like a friend not once but twice in two days:⁠⁠
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"The angel of the Lord encamps⁠⁠
 around those who fear him, and delivers them.” ~Psalm 34:7⁠⁠
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I don’t know what hardship you're encountering today, but I hope you also encounter this message:⁠⁠
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As God surrounds you, may He deliver you *to* a better place, yes. But may He deliver you *from* anxiety, loneliness, fears, and wrongdoing.⁠⁠
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And along the way, may He give you a friend who prays for you and walks with you from where you are to where you will be. ⁠⁠
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#whereIbelongWednesday⁠⁠
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