I am responding to Holley Gerth’s 2014 encouragement challenge with this post and I am aiming to encourage you, my sisters and friends.
To be truthful and honest, it is a bad time for me to be writing this, if I look at my circumstances. I am nine months pregnant, as heavy as anything, struggling with sleeping issues and with a dad who is ill and with me not being able to see him, not for another few weeks/months at least.
But being an encourager is not about living in the right circumstances. If is was so, we would all be moping around over some thing or another. No, being an encourager is pushing through that sense of loss or discomfort or inadequacy and pour your heart out. In a positive way, of course 🙂
I have had this thought in my head since last week. I was doing my ironing and decided to watch Ice Age: The Meltdown to make it less tedious. Believe it or not, I hadn’t watched it before (my little one is only 4, I believe it’s all ahead of me from now on) so I got easily engrossed in the story. One character that left an impression with me was Ellie, the mammoth. Unaware of the fact that she was a mammoth, Ellie behaves like a possum under the influence of the “family”who had raised her. It takes a lot of hints from Manny but eventually, a visit into her childhood cave and the flood of buried memories does the trick: she realised finally who she is and as by magic, starts behaving like a sassy, entitled to a voice and size mammoth. Behaving as she was meant to be behaving from when she was created.
I wonder how many of us, under the influence or family upbringing, circumstances and negative past experiences, have come to belittle ourselves and believe we are mere possums (not that they are not cute or anything but they are NOT what we are meant to be, girls!). If you recognise yourself in Ellie, there is only one thing to do: ask you Creator to take you back to the cave where your identity was changed and show you who you really are. And then, once you get confirmation, ROAR, as a true mammoth, entitled to a place and a voice in this world! Assume your right identity and stand up to your full height!
Quite a challenge, ha? Let me know how you get on with it, will you?
Don’t let the possum voices in your life dictate your destiny!
Mama's Haven 
Pushing through is never easy in my opinion. Challenges come and go,pain come and go, feeling overwhelmed come and go. Love and hope are always there. Your post touches my heart,Oana.You are amazing.xxxx P.S.May baby come at the perfect time. I am sure,that your dad knows that you can’t go and see him for some time. xxxx
I think many times pain, challenges and feelings stem from a mistaken reality. Once you address the root cause they subside to the true proportion. Thank you, this week was hard for me as a daughter but he is much better now and the pressure is off. Now I can focus on having this baby out 🙂
Wow,that’s new to me.I do feel pain sometimes, I do feel overwhelmed and challenged sometimes and may be its because I take things too personally.Thank you for that,Oana. So glad your dad is better . Very exciting times ahead for you.Best wishes for you and baby.Be well and strong and healthy. xxxxxxx
Thanks so much for linking up today with Coffee for Your Heart, friend! XOXO
Thank you for stopping by, Holley. Such a nice way to start the New Year, your challenge and linky!xx
Great post. I pray for you and your family. Everything happens for a reason. Have faith. I like your how you relate the movie to circumstances. Lovely. I needed to read your post. Thanks
Thank you, Emy, for stopping by and for the encouragement!xx
Thank you for the encouragement! The part about Ellie thinking she’s a possum was the funniest part of the movie, but I never thought about it this way.
It was the first time watching it but this bit stayed with me, Tarana. I thought it was hilarious how she bid behind trees and all 🙂
Been there, done that and got the t-shirt. One of the hardest things I ever had to do but I got through it! 🙂 Thank you for linking to PoCoLo x
It’s always the case, isn’t it? The only way out of anything is forward!xx