Monday, November 19, 2018

Where I Belong

Being hit with feelings of introspection recently, I penned the following as a guest post for The Journey.

It was another long bicoastal airplane ride, this time to help my daughter relocate; a joyful yet taxing time combined with the stress of traveling. Usually when I travel, if anything can go wrong it does. So I make my lists and check them twice: leave at least 2 hours in advance, check in online, and print out my boarding pass. Also, I double check that I have my ID, charge my phone and ensure that my toiletries are the right size. I also won’t wear a belt but will wear easily removable shoes. Once at the airport I wind my way through slow moving lines. Finally, as I go through TSA, my hair and back are routinely patted adding to my agitation. So many things to keep in mind and so many things to overlook that without meaning to, traveling becomes a stressful event.

My treat, once I’ve made it to the gate, is to purchase a popular women’s magazine to read in flight. I’m drawn in by the sleek elegance of the cover with its promise of unexplored worlds between its covers. I look forward to absorbing these insights as we make our way through the skies; a peaceful oasis regardless of turbulence or touchy neighbors.



 Once in-flight, I eagerly flipped to the introduction and discovered titles such as:
  • Better Love Next Time
  • Build Instant Intimacy
  • You Don’t Have to be Thin to be Chic
  • How to Live Your Best Life
The titles drew me in, but as I read each article, the content was not who I was. I didn’t fit in. This feeling of being disconnected was pervasive, and I began to wonder why. What was so different about me that I couldn’t see myself in the words on the page?



Read the rest of my self-discovery at Journey, then feel free to comment over here.

--Nylse

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8 comments:

  1. I can absolutely relate to this post! I always felt different and like I didn't fit in growing up. My life and the way I was raised was vastly different from my peers but as I get older I am so grateful for that. Even if sometimes it feels like I don't belong I know that I will always belong to Him. Thank you for this read this morning!

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  2. I love that truth that God's word has atypical solutions to typical problems. So true!

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  3. My mother told me this just yesterday, I told her it is being a citizen of heaven, that's why things are strange and you don't fit in.

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  4. Loved it Andree. I can sometimes feel like I don’t belong anywhere. I feel like I’m on the outside looking in a lot. But I can always find my confidence in God. Beautiful share ����

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  5. Nylse, I can identify with not fitting in, too. The women's magazines are often produced to give us a "perfect" model of a woman we compare ourselves to. We "ordinary" women feel like we are somehow lacking, so we buy the makeup, shampoo, etc. advertised in the magazines. Shame or guilt do not belong to Christians. God has told us that he loves us and forgives us all our sins. Why should we judge ourselves more harshly than God? Hope you had a wonderful visit with your daughter!

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  6. Wouldn't a modern women's mag with a biblical perspective be great? Happy Thanks giving. laurensparks.net

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  7. I second the commenter who suggested a modern woman’s magazine with a biblical perspective! �� I think once I entered my 30s, I was given the wonderful gift of caring way less about how different I was compared with society or my peers. Wow did that ever bog me down in my teens and 20s!

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  8. Hi Nylse,

    You are not alone, friend ♥ It's a struggle for so many of us. I believe that even the most grounded and God-confident of us have moments or seasons of feeling as though we just don't fit in. Thank you for the encouragement and thank you for joining me each week!
    Blessings to you,
    Lori

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