Friend, You Are Set Apart

Her words sunk deep.

Only my parents had spoken such words of value and encouragement to me prior. I expected this common practice from them, but not from my high school assistant basketball coach.

She believed in all of us on the team. She cared for us, even off the court. We all knew it. But these special words, from her heart to mine, changed the way I saw my 17-year old self. Her words woke up a sleeping giant within me as she spoke of potential, of talent, of inspiration, and of my future. She encouraged me to run from living small, to focus on my future, to never settle in life, and to step away from the crowd.

To set myself apart.

set apart ::  to make someone or something different and special; to keep something separate in order to use it for a particular purpose

And because these promptings came from someone other than my parents, and from someone whom I had great respect for, they rang loud and clear.

Please don’t misunderstand me here. I’m not any more special than anyone else. God loves us all the same, and He considers us set apart to Him:

“Before I started to put you together in your mother, I knew you. Before you were born, I set you apart as holy. I chose you to speak to the nations for Me.” Jeremiah 1:5

These words above were for the prophet, Jeremiah, but we can claim them for us today. And He calls us to set ourselves apart from the rest of the world:

Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. Romans 12:2

All because you are something special, and you were designed for a particular purpose.

You are set apart.

That’s a beautiful truth, friend. You and I are urged to step away from doing what everyone else is doing. To take our eyes off of everyone around us as our model to follow, and to set them on God as our example. To not fall into the trap of believing if what you are called to do didn’t work for someone else, that it won’t work for you.

Then to step out in faith with Him, as He leads us. To fulfill His plans and purposes for our lives.

Wonderful, exciting, one-of-a-kind plans for you and for me.

May we do today whatever the next step is in following God’s prompting to set ourselves apart. We have a beautiful future with Him ahead of us.

I took Coach K’s words to heart that evening, and made some changes… in how I saw myself, and in how I was living. If she believed in me that much, I wanted to believe in me, too. Looking back, that evening was a turning point in my life. I will forever be grateful for her and for the words she spoke into my young life.

I’m believing in you today, friend!

Blessings!

Julie

 
It’s Day 18 of 31 Days #CelebratingWhoYouAre. Feel like sharing?? I’d love to hear from you. What’s one step you can take to following God’s prompting to set yourself apart for Him? Who is that someone in your life who could use some life-impacting words spoken into his/her life? It’s a great day to be a blessing!