“God did a good work, Abby.” Tears formed when I heard my friend’s words on the voice message. After a year and a half of working on a book that would be birthed in three months, I was second-guessing everything. Questions about my intentions sent me reeling, and wondering, “Is this what I can expect?” Following God’s call is a constant act of surrender. I used to picture surrender like someone caught in the middle of a crime by a police officer. She throws up her hands, resolved to submit Continue Reading
When My Invisible Checklist Became an Idol
“What degree are you going after, your MRS degree?” I gave the elderly man a disgusted look and told him no. Part of me wanted to smack him for making such a chauvinistic remark, but another part knew something I wasn’t willing to admit: I wasn’t happy unless I had a man in the picture. Was I in college to meet my future husband? No, that wasn’t my goal. But it would be an added perk. You see, for much of my life, I made an idol out of an invisible checklist. I wasn’t aware of it Continue Reading
The Day God’s Love Became Real
There is a vast difference between hearing words and actually believing them. For most of my life, I did the former. To say I took things with a grain of salt was an understatement. I used the entire shaker. My grandmother never missed an opportunity to tell me I was beautiful. I would give her an obligatory smile and think as her grandchild, she was required to say that. I didn’t see what she saw. I measured my worth by my ability to perform and to please others. But beauty? It was too Continue Reading
