Our Heart's Song: Anna's Story

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 Do you remember the first time someone called you “mom” or you said you were so-in-so’s mom? I do. It was when I brought my brand new baby boy home from the hospital and needed to make his one week check-up appointment at the doctors. “Hello. Yes, this is Seth’s mom. I’m calling to make an appointment for him.”

 

 Although I had zero experience as a mom and very little know how, I was immediately given the title of mom. And though it felt new, it felt wonderful, and I wore it proudly. Motherhood was part of the high calling God put on my life. So why is it then that when I bravely followed God’s calling on my life to write and speak, I didn’t instantly and proudly wear the titles “writer” and “speaker”? If you are pursuing your own God-ordained calling, you will understand what I’m talking about.  Are you a photographer? An artist? A graphic designer?

I am an author and a speaker. Although I’ve been an author for a year now and a speaker for three, I tend to stammer and search for the right words to say when someone asks me what I do. I somehow believe the lie that I must attain large amounts of experience and success before wearing the titles.

 

 

I have learned that although a title feels big and uncomfortable when we first try it on, unless we wear it, wiggle around in it and go out in public with it, we will never fully embrace who we are and what we are called to do.

 

 I understand that wearing the fancy title invites attention like a woman wearing an oversized purple hat with a giant red flower awkwardly pinned to the side. People may even judge you. Insecurity tries to call your bluff and you begin comparing yourself to others who wear the same title. Stop! Comparison accomplishes only two things. One is that you will find someone who wears the title better and you’ll become discouraged. The second is that you will find someone who wears it worse and you’ll be puffed up with pride. Either way, comparison is a killer. Don’t do it.

 

Remember, dear friend, that the One who called you is faithful to fulfill His will in your life. Say this verse out loud with me, “Even before I was born, God chose me and called me by his marvelous grace. Then it pleased him to reveal his Son to me so that I would proclaim the Good News about Jesus to the Gentiles” (Galatians 1:15-16). Did you catch that? God chose you and called you! In fact, Jesus says in John 15:16, “You didn’t choose me. I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce lasting fruit.” Let the many truths in these verses sink into your bones today.

In John 15, Jesus calls himself the Vine. The nature of a vine is to spread. Jesus graciously chose you and me to be the branches, and we are to bear his fruit. There is only one Vine, but many branches. You may look very similar to another branch on the Vine, but there is still only one you. One beautiful, chosen and crowned you. When we, the branches, learn to intertwine and work together, instead of competing and strangling life from one another through competition and comparison, the Gardener’s garden will grow and produce much fruit.  Satan knows that if he can inject enough poisonous fear, insecurity and pride into the branches that it will render the garden useless and ineffective. The Bible says to humble ourselves before God, resist the devil, and he will flee from us (James 4:7).

 

 Friend, we need to remember Who our success comes from and humble ourselves under his mighty hand. When we stay connected to the Vine and resist the temptations of pride and comparisons, we can soak in Jesus’ love, acceptance, encouragement and power. As we confidently embrace the title of our calling, faithfully using our gifts and talents for the assignments God has given us, then His salvation message and plan for His people will spread to the ends of the earth. 

 

 If today’s post blessed you, please LIKE it and SHARE it on social media. By doing so, you spread the love of Christ and the impact of Chosen and Crowned Ministries. Looking for a great book to help you grow closer in your relationship with God? Anna Frye’s book, Extraordinary You, can do just that! Packed with personal stories and Biblical truth, you will be inspired in your walk with God and your determination to live out God’s beautiful story for your life. Order your copy today!

Author Bio:

I am a mom of three, wife of one, and follower of Jesus Christ. When I’m not hanging out with my husband and kids, I passionately serve the Lord by serving women. I am a speaker, author, host of “Mom Talk” and co-host of “Real Life”, both of which are on Cornerstone TeleVision Network. I serve the local church community as a Mothers of Preschoolers (MOPS) mentor. As I work in each of these roles, I know without a doubt that I am living out my extraordinary, God-designed destiny.  While I love this adventure with God, most days I feel completely unqualified for such a calling, so I cling to this scripture and press on:

 

“Take a good look, friends, at who you were when you got called into this life.  I don’t see many of “the brightest and the best” among you, not many influential, not many from high-society families.  Isn’t it obvious that God deliberately chose men and women that the culture overlooks and exploits and abuses, chose these “nobodies” to expose the hollow pretensions of the “somebodies”?  That makes it quite clear that none of you can get by with blowing your own horn before God.  Everything that we have – right thinking and right living, a clean slate and a fresh start – comes from God by way of Jesus Christ.  That’s why we have the saying, “If you’re going to blow a horn, blow a trumpet for God” (1 Corinthians 1:26-30, The Message).

  

And so with all the anointed hot air God has given me...I blow my trumpet for Him.  Praise the name that is above every name, Jesus! 

(This post was written by Anna Frye as a part of the Our Heart's Song Series this month. I encourage you to read her story and check out her website. This is one of the many incredible women that I will have the privilege to meet at the SheSpeaks Conference, at the end of this month, where over 800 women across the world will gather together and ask God to take us to the next level in our speaking/writing ministry. I ask that you would please pray for each woman as she shares her story.)