What Ingredients are you working with?
I don’t know about you, but my past is not something I’m proud of. I feel like I’ve made more mistakes than achieved wins.
Recently, while scrolling through YouTube looking for a video on how to rebrand my life, I stumbled upon a gem. A conversation between Mel Robbins and Sarah Jakes Roberts, two incredible women in their own rights.
Both women had rough starts, but what surprised me most was how much I had in common with Sarah. She was a teen mom and as a minister’s daughter, the shame attached to this was more than she could understand.
She later shared how she found herself in a toxic marriage in her twenties and eventually found solace in writing through her blog. What surprised her was that as she condemned herself and tried to compensate for her failures through achievement, more women connected with her imperfections, not her achievements.
The more vulnerable she became, the more she realized that there were women all over the world living stories like hers. Eventually, she became a role model and continues to be one for millions of women today.
Her story inspired me, because I saw myself in all the mess she detailed. The insecurities, the self doubt, the search for solace…. I am that woman now. Hurt. Broken. Yet determined to see the other side of all of this.
What truly touched me was her discussion about the ingredients you’re working with. Sarah so perfectly described how we often want things to be perfect before we make a move or take that leap of faith. But, what God expects from us is to work with the ingredients, those things he has already put in us, first.
This looks different for everyone. Each of us has strengths and weaknesses that can move us to the next chapter of our lives. You don’t have to be perfect to become the woman you want to be.
She used the analogy of ingredients in a kitchen cabinet and how so often we already have what it takes to make a full meal. And even when we don’t, there are ways to substitute ingredients and still create something beautifully our own.
Sometimes, you won’t have every ingredient the recipe calls for. But with a little ingenuity, you can still make something nourishing with what you have on hand.
This was such an encouraging analogy. Here’s a woman, who by the world’s standards, had failed major ways and continued to experience setbacks until she began to use the tools and ingredients at her disposal.
She went from being a confused little girl, a broken woman, to someone made whole in Christ. A woman experiencing love that heals and builds. An accomplished author and businesswoman. She went from carrying shame to inspiring countless women to rise up.
One day, this will be my story.
As I lie in my bed, writing this post, my mind filled with so many questions. There is so much I want to accomplish and so many lessons to learn, in what feels like such little time.
I don’t know how exactly I’ll get there. But, one day, I’ll be that woman standing before thousands, encouraging them, and reminding them that they have value. That God has already equipped them with everything they need to become who He’s calling them to be.
They just have to use what they have now, even if it isn’t perfect.
And in time, things will begin to make sense.
