Where We Belong
Potter home
Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart. Psalm 37:4
“There’s something delicious about writing those first few words of a story. You can never quite tell where they’ll take you. Mine took me here…where I belong.” Beatrix Potter, the greatest children’s author of the 20th century, called Hill Top Farm in rural England, home. She found inspiration and freedom to write about the many adventures (and misadventures) of her animal friends surrounded by beautiful, lush, rolling hills. It’s where she belonged and where her passion as an artist flourished.
We all long to find where we belong, don’t we? As small children we belong to a family. We live together, find our identity through family and take our rightful place in the birth order. As we mature, although sharing the same roots, we differ greatly. Our eldest brother likes sports and our middle sister loves fashion while we adore books. We’re shy. They’re social. We crave solitude. They adore crowds. We’re most obviously different. And so goes our journey of belonging.
In part, the journey points to the question “What do you want to be when you grow up?” When first asked, (around the age of 3), we don’t have a clue. If the question were, “What do you like to do the most?”, we might answer more accurately. Why? Because what we enjoy doing is how God wired us and strongly points to what we might be when we “grow up.”
Belonging, is knowing your purpose – doing what God created you to do – where your heart soars. It’s a place that feels like Paradise.
So how do you get there?
- Deal with your heart-wounds alone with God, with a counselor or trusted friend. Once you do, you can put the past behind you and move forward on your journey.
- Surrender your passion, your deepest desire before God in prayer. Ask God if what your passion is truly His desire for you. Most usually, His desires align with our greatest passions, but how we are to exercise our talents/passions needs to come into alignmenet with His will. This may take time listening to God and examining our own hearts.
- Obey God’s leading.
Our passions make our hearts soar and create a place in this world where we belong. When we’re doing what God purposed us to do we’re welcoming the Kingdom of Heaven here on earth – a bit of Paradise.
What’s your heart’s desire/passion? How do you live it out? What steps are you taking to discover God’s purpose for your life or the life of your children? What’s stopping you?
From where I belong,
I love this post, Dawn! Isn’t it amazing how God has a special calling for each of us?
Thanks, Carol. Yes, it is amazing that God has given each of us something unique to share. If we could only realize it’s something wired within us all along, it wouldn’t take so long to start opening that gift and using it!
This is something I am still struggling with. I envision so much more than I accomplish. Right now I’m dealing with health issues due to too much stress. I’m doing some serious praying about what I need to do differently or let go of.
Janice, thanks for sharing that struggle. I will certainly be praying God speak specifically and clearly, my friend.
I feel like this post was written for me! “What do you want to be when you grow up” v. “What do you like to do the most”: I wish people had asked me the latter more than the former when I was a child. I decided early on what I wanted to be ‘when I grew up’ but when I actually got that job, I found it didn’t suit me at all! I’m now trying to (prayerfully) reassess my life in the light of what I enjoy (drawing and illustrating) and trying to bring glory to God through it.
Liz
http://www.talesofbassily.com
Oh Liz, I have walked in your shoes! Praying that God continue to bring answers and opportunities to use your passions for His glory and your enjoyment!
Thank you!
Blessings,
Liz
What a beautiful and powerful post, Dawn! You expressed everything so well–putting words to our emotions that are sometimes hard to express. Discovering God’s purpose for our lives is the greatest blessing in the world! Thanks for blessing us with your words today!
Thanks, Crystal
A beautiful post, Dawn. I felt my heart relax as I read it, sinking into that wonderful place of belonging. And I love the thought of asking kids what they love to do rather than what they hope to be. Wise counsel. Thank you!
You are welcome, Linda. We all struggle with belonging no matter our calling.
I’m struggling with this now, too. Where do I belong? We moved in with my MIL almost 2 years ago because she has dementia and can’t live alone. We didn’t want her to have to go to a nursing home. We also have a special needs adult daughter who needs full time care.
The struggle for me is still feeling displaced. I left my home of 28 years to live in a room in someone else’s house. I’m still homesick, just like a child at camp. I cry a lot. I’m sad all the time. I know we’re doing the right thing for Mom. I know it! It’s just so much harder than I ever dreamed. And all this makes it hard to write or be creative.
Just because God calls you to something doesn’t mean it’s gonna be easy or fun. Maybe I should write a kid’s book about that. So many times we tell children to follow God. We never tell them it can really be painful when you do. 🙁
Pam, I am walking in your shoes. So, please know you are not alone. Writing has become such a struggle for me, as well. Sometimes I scratch my head and wonder, “Are you sure you called me into this God?” But God is faithful to use the small things, the small beginnings to bless those who need the words God’s penned through me even years before. One encouraging word was spoken from a fellow author this summer. She was over her head with family responsibilities and finding time and energy to write was difficult, so she prayed, “God, can you hold onto this dream, this calling a little longer? I need to get this family thing right.” I hope this encourages you, too. God sees you. You are not alone. He will hold onto your dream and your calling to write His words as long as it takes. Take those small moments to breathe, to nap, to simply “be”.
I like your friend’s prayer … and while I’m able to write and lose myself in a fiction world, I’m still not sure where I fit in with everything. I had a working lunch with my best friend who is an illustrator today. We have a picture book coming out in January. It was wonderful – just what I needed.
Just stay faithful to God’s promptings and He’ll you’ll fit into His perfect spot at just the right time! I look forward to your next book.