Have you ever received a timely message that stopped you in your tracks? I got a text yesterday from my friend Libba that was like a punch in the gut and a warm hug, all at once. It was an image that I’d apparently shared years earlier. Which made me laugh. It was a reminder that if we’ve been reading, praying, earnestly seeking to grow, oftentimes the wisdom we need is already inside us. We may just need a reminder.
Or we may simply need to be still long enough to hear the whisper.
The text was an image with this quote:
“I believe that we are who we choose to be.
Nobody is going to come and save you.
You’ve got to save yourself.
Nobody is going to give you anything.
You’ve got to go out and fight for it.
Nobody knows what you want except you, and nobody will be as sorry as you if you don’t get it.
So don’t give up on your dreams. “
I don’t know what your dream is today.
I don’t know if it’s a dream of a restored marriage, a dream of financial security, a dream of a new job, or of work that feels more alive. Maybe it’s a dream of more time and space for rest and renewal. Maybe it’s a dream of better health, better friendships, or becoming a better parent.
What I do know is that no one is coming to rescue you.
Just like the image above of Molly teaching me to hand-letter with modern calligraphy. She drew out the practice words. She showed me how to double down on the downstrokes. But in order for me to learn to letter, she couldn’t do it for me. I had to do that last one without her. Not without her presence. She was still beside me, supporting me, and believing in me. I simply had to do it without her help.
I had to become the person who knew how to letter on my own.
There are some words in the quote above that don’t fully resonate with me. In fact, I’ve seen that one of the very best gifts of struggle is learning that there are people on all sides who believe in you. They are willing to jump in to support you and give of themselves for you, sometimes even shockingly so. They’re ready to dig with their own shovels. They’re ready to pray. They’re ready to hold your hand. They’re cheering for you from the sidelines. But they are not you.
At the end of the day, they can’t hold the pen for you.
They don’t carry your dream in your heart. You’re the only one who can step up and learn to do the work for your own dreams. There’s no easy path. There’s no short cut. There’s no alternate route.
If you want to become the person who accomplishes your dreams and goals, the only way is through.
Don’t give up on your dreams.
Become the person who knows the way through.
to more love,
Crystal
p.s. If you’ve ever wanted to learn to handletter with modern calligraphy, you need a minute to let your swirling circumstances simmer down, or you simply want the ease of a pre-planned girls night out to get some time with your girlfriends, join me next Thursday night for Simmer Down GNO. The woman you’re becoming? She’ll be glad you did.
