After stopping, restarting at Christmas break, pausing for spring semester, and resuming when I got home for summer, I finally finished reading Dance, Stand, Run by Jess Connolly (also one of the women who started She Reads Truth). I have a habit of not finishing things that I start, usually because I get too many things going at once, but this time, it was partially because it was so good and so relevant that sometimes I would end up on one chapter over multiple days. I tell myself that quality over quantity is what matters, though. God doesn't care how many Bible studies you get through but how much it impacts you. (I mean, it does only take one decision to get to heaven.)
It's definitely a book I would recommend to other young women to read, whether that's on your own like I did or probably even better with a friend, but I wanted to share some of the things that stood out to me most. It's honest and up front, but it also made me laugh out loud at times. Going through part of it twice, in two very different seasons of my life, different parts hit me in totally different ways, but that's one of the best things about God's word and the way He works. It never changes, but it never gets old.
A few of these pictures are from the actual book, but most of them are from other times and places yet still right in line. I added some relevant verses where they came to mind!
I'm self-conscious and have always been a perfectionist. Even though I just said I often have too much going on at once, in some situations I don't do anything because I'm afraid of doing something wrong, being judged, or getting embarrassed. That's not the biggest issue! God knows our hearts' intentions and gives grace in our mistakes. The great things He has planned are not always easy, clear, or pretty, but they are always good.
Don't be afraid of messing up, but be afraid of missing out!
^^a good kind of FOMO
Jesus isn't the icing; He is the cake. You can't spread icing on air. You have to have a base. Without Him, there would be nothing. (John 15:5, Colossians 1:17, Acts 17:28)
"We can't soak up grace when we're running ourselves into the ground trying to be everything to everyone. We run ragged trying to prove to the world that we're enough and can handle our own junk."
We have to rest so we can dance. (Matthew 11:28-30, Genesis 2:2-3, Mark 6:31, Hebrews 4:10)
Call each other up, not out.
Shame calls people out, grace calls people up.
Shoulds are almost always attached to someone else's opinion, like saying "shame on you."
If God wanted us to live by a system of "shoulds," He would've given us a list instead of a love story. (Romans 8:1, Ephesians 2:8-9, Isaiah 54:4)
Turn your "have-tos" to "get tos" and your "shoulds" to "cans"
Stop shoulding on yourself.
Live in a way that gives others something to ask you about. (1 Peter 3:15, Ephesians 4:1)
It's not about performance; it's about the process. Not about the runners but the one we are running for. (2 Corinthians 4:16, Acts 20:24, Philippians 1:6)
You don't have to spend your life always longing for more if you're busy making the most of what you already have. (Ephesians 5:16, Colossians 4:5, Hebrews 13:5, 1 Timothy 6:6-7, Luke 12:15)
Fight fast-paced and fear-based with prayer and praise.
Sometimes we have to be brought to our knees to rise up. (1 Peter 5:6, 10)
God uses messy people to reach other messy people.
Know where you came from, but more importantly, now where you now stand, why you're here, and where you're going.
I didn't work to get here, but God put me here. (Psalm 40:2, 1 Peter 2:9, Acts 20:24, 1 Corinthians 15:10)
If we know that we already have all we could ever want or need, why do we not feel like it or act like it? (Philippians 4:19, John 10:10, Matthew 6:25-34, Romans 8:31-32)
Have humble confidence. Acknowledge the challenge, and accept grace and guidance. (Hebrews 4:16)
Sometimes you just need to jump out of the stinking boat! (In Matthew 14, Jesus told Peter to come out into the water with Him, and at first, Peter didn't even hesitate. Jesus called, and he went. He walked on water. Sometimes it's going to feel pretty uncertain what you might think God is telling you to do, but He does amazing things when we step out in faith! Even if we start to sink, He will hold us up. It's been a goal for me this year to get out of my comfort zone more often and just see what happens, and let me tell ya, it's brought some great stuff!)
No matter how "mature" in our faith we are, sometimes we all need to go back to the basics. (1 Peter 2:2-3, Hebrews 5:12, 2 Peter 1:5-8, Ephesians 4:15, Matthew 22:36-40)
We humans are always going to be part of the problem (and trying to "fix" it ourselves tends to make it worse), but Jesus is always the answer. (John 14:6, Acts 4:12, Isaiah 55:8-9, Acts 1:7-8, Psalm 147:3)
I never knew the freedom of grace until I really knew the weight of my sin. (Romans 6:23, Romans 5:20, James 4:6)
Abundance comes from obedience. Repentance brings refreshment. (John 10:10, Luke 11:28, 1 John 5:3, John 15:10, 2 Corinthians 5:17)
In the whole armor of God in Ephesians 6, "the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God" is the only offensive weapon. With everything else, we will be protected, but only the Bible can help us fight the battle.
If you ever feel too young or too female to do something, remember that Mary was only maybe a 13-year-old girl when God made her the mother of Jesus.
We need other people to remind us that our mission matters; it's worth fighting for. We need others who will ask us hard questions and keep us accountable, but we also need them to celebrate with us. I personally was hit hard with this one--I need people to loosen me up when I'm being too serious and worried. (Romans 12:15, 1 Thessalonians 5:11, James 5:16, Colossians 1:9)
No matter where I go, my home is in heaven. (Philippians 3:20, Hebrews 11:16, 12:28, John 14:3)
My passions, talents, performance, opportunities, blessings, and even my struggles are not my identity but are tools to build God's kingdom. (1 Peter 4:10, Romans 8:28, 11:29, 12:1, 6, 1 Corinthians 12:4-7, 2 Timothy 1:6, 1 Timothy 4:14)
My future doesn't depend on my performance but on my heart. --Praise God because I now I will mess up, fall down, say something dumb, get a bad grade, run a bad race, etc. on a daily basis. (Jeremiah 29:11, Philippians 1:6, Romans 10:9, Matthew 6:21)
To quote that old Lee Ann Womack song,
"Promise me that you'll give faith a fighting chance, and when you get the choice to sit it out or dance, I hope you dance"