See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!
1 John 3:1 (NIV)
I love traveling. I love airports too. Flying, though? I hate flying. See, I’m overweight. And while that fact is always present in my thoughts, never am I more aware of my extra pounds than when I fly. I hate flying because I take up too much space.
If I have the choice, I always choose an aisle seat. I hold my breath and suck in my gut and pray that the seatbelt will latch. And then I spend the next few hours squeezing my legs together and digging my elbows into my sides as I try to avoid taking up any extra space — in the aisle, in the seats, in the air.
My scrunched-up and sucked-in body language, along with my apologetic glances and occasional “sorrys” after the inevitable bumps and elbow rubs, is one big apology.
I’m sorry for taking up too much space.
I’m sorry for being too big.
I’m sorry for being in the way.
I’m sorry I’m kind of sweaty from speed-walking to the gate.
I’m sorry I reached over you to turn on my fan.
I’m sorry my leg bumped your leg.
I’m sorry I’m in the way.
I’m sorry you have to sit by me.
Maybe you fit just fine in an airplane seat. Maybe it’s something else that makes you hunch your shoulders and stare at the ground with red cheeks, apologizing for part of who you are, for just being yourself.
Are you clumsy? Perpetually late? Awkward? Too talkative? Too loud? Too quiet? Too sarcastic? Too much? Too real? Too you?
No, you aren’t. You are wonderful. You are loved. And when God looks at His creation (that’s you! and me!), He says, “It is very good.” Regardless of how anyone else sees us, we are God’s workmanship and masterpiece — and He lavishes His love on us.
If you’re tempted to apologize for who you are or how you are, please don’t. Remember that you have a right to be here, to take up space — in a conversation, on the airplane, in the grocery store aisle, at the mom’s group, in the world. And no matter how much space you take up or how you take up that space, you are welcome and wanted and loved.
Thank You, Lord, for being a safe place where I am called good, where I take up just the right amount of space, where I am seen and loved and welcome to be who I am, how I am, just as I am. Even saying that calms my heart and lets me breathe deeper. Give me the strength to truly recognize that no matter how anyone else sees me, I am God’s workmanship and masterpiece, and I am loved. Amen.
This devotion was written by Mary Carver and appears in our devotional Take Heart: 100 Devotions to Seeing God When Life’s Not Okay. This collection of courageous stories from forty-four different authors is where you can find your story reflected — from struggling with weight, anxiety, and depression to suffering through miscarriage and grieving the death of a husband; from experiencing injustice and questioning our purpose to walking through church disappointments, loneliness, and infertility. The Take Heart writers share from the depth of their hearts and experience so that you will know beyond a doubt that you are not alone and that you are — and always have been — loved.
Get 5 devotions from Take Heart for FREE — just sign up below and we’ll send them right to you. This book is an offering of hope, from one heart to another — sister to sister, friend to friend. We pray it helps you take heart and bravely face whatever you’re up against.
Thank you— I would love to win the Take Heart prize pack! Many times we or those around us struggle when “life’s not ok” and this would be a great encouragement.
This was meant for me today, right here right now in this moment in time … You see I am going through the toughest moments in my life, wondering if God has forgotten me? & then I read this & it gives me hope. No matter what I’m going through, God is beside me holding my and & letting me know this will pass to child of mine.. I know that is true as he has parted so many Red Seas & is about to doing it again.
Thank you Lord for being with me throughout my Red Sea moments… In Jesus Name, We give thanks. Amen
❤️⚓️✝️
Karen,
Abba Father, You alone know what Karen is facing. Show her that you haven’t forgotten her. That you love her & are with her always. Send her glimpses of your love & grace. Guide her steps & help this situation pass quickly. Get her over this “red sea” of hers. Give her big hugs from me (Beth Williams in Watauga TN). Let her know that there are people out there praying for her. AMEN
This is why I love incourage. I related so much to this. I really appreciate that this space is full of the real & often hard parts of living a faith journey. It makes me feel less alone to know that others deal with the same struggles I do. Thank you!
Amen & Amen Thanks for the reminder that I am seen and loved just as I am and that my space is just right for me .
Every day I feel like I am trying to improve myself—since I was a teenager and I am now 61. While this may sound like it is a good thing, it so consumes me I now recognize it comes from a place of never feeling good enough. I am hoping these devotional will help me find my way to feeling that I am exactly who I am supposed to be as a person for today, so I may experience and live in a space of internal peace not listening to a critical tape in my head 24/7.
I have suffered with anxiety and depression for many years and my hope is that this book with help me overcome some of the loneliness that I feel from them!
Thank you for reminding us that’s it’s okay to take up space. We are hand picked by God and perfectly made. Sometimes we forget so thanks again for reminding s that’s it’s okay to not apologize for just being yourself. God bless.
I love that you make room for everyone at this spacious table!
I have purchased this book for others but never brought one for me. I lost my husband last October and although I know God is with me always, this road is one of the must difficult roads I have ever had to walk on. I need to be reminded daily that I’m loved by my Creator and that I’m enough.
Too much. Too much.
We have been watching The Middle (again)
I finally figured it out why I relate to this show. I’m Sue Heck. Pastor Tim Tom just arrived in her life. Who doesn’t need or want a Pastor TimTom?
Someone who sings to your heart. Someone who says, you’re fine. In fact more than fine. You’re loved. No matter if you’re too much or never going to be enough.
God’s voice. Listen.
You are fearfully and wonderfully made. Signed, The Great I Am.
I am a nurse that’s been blessed with a job I love however the pandemic has proven difficult and tiresome. I believe this devotional and journal would help me to see how God is intricately working through our difficulties in life and the journal would encourage me to write out my prayers to God. Lately, I’ve been too busy to just rest and digest the word of God, but I’m hoping that winning this set would encourage me to do so.
This met me right where I am, where I’ve been. The realness of acknowledging that “life is not always ok” resonates.
I feel you in being over weight, I have struggle with my weight all of my adult life. I am a senior citizen would love this package deal. I get lonely at times because I am a pastor’s widow, four years now was married for 44 years. And dealing loosing my mother in January to Covid, she was 88 years young.
I hate flying full stop. I don’t mind airports. I ok if you don’t talk to me. Don’t ask me look out the window on airplane. I don’t like the fact that there is nothing below you or above you. When in an airplane. I like to feel the ground below me with my feet. See the part of the world I live in out a window. Not look out the airplane window. They are both those things just tiny dots. From how far I am up in the air. That part I don’t like. So even when I go to a public toilet. I have to have the door that you can see a gap in it. So I see the light in the toilet place. Not one were the door of the toilet goes from the bottom or the sealing you have no cap. You are closed in tight. Until you are finished in the toilet. If that is the only toilet there is. I need to go. If someone is with me. I get them when I am going to toilet to stand the other side of the door. I will not close it tightly. So a bink of light from the other side comes in. If not a toilet in the place like the toilet I have described. I am on my own. I wait until I get home to my own home to go to the toilet. No matter how desperate I am to go. I can’t use them. If no one with me. If the door or the toilet goes from the bottom to the top of the ceiling. I do without. People have said to me Dawn that is really bad for your kidney. To wait. You be ok. You not get stuck. If the door to the public toilet goes from the bottom to top. But I just can’t go. Especially if on my own. I don’t know we’re all this come from. To do with both things Flying and public toilets. No matter were they are. Should it be in s town or shopping centre or hotel. Yes I ok going to theses place to the toilet on my own if got a gap in the door to see the light. If you talk to me on airplane. I will tell you be quite. I rather sit on the airplane and be quite. Saying nothing not looking out of a window. Just say to myself the journey in this airplane. Will be over before I know it. When we land. I not happy to my feet are on the ground. Yes there is a bottom and top in the airplane. My feet sit on the ground the whole time I am flying. But it not the same as the place I going to by airplane. Get of touching the ground there. If you keep talk to me while the airplane is up in the air. I can feel sick. That is why I will tell you to be quite. So Mary if don’t like flying either. No matter what your reason is. You are you. I am I. That is why I fly to often. But the Lord has shown me. Dawn you are you. You have pretend to be anyone else. Your scared of flying and doors in toilets in public places that go from the bottom to the top. You don’t have to answer why your like that. That is who you are. But God did also say to me. Don’t apologize for that. You might feel you have too because you are like that over theses too things. You might feel you have to apologize also so as people will not feel you are wired. Why would you be so scared of doors in toilets going from the bottom to the top. Plus flying. You God said to Mr don’t have to answer to people like that. That is you. They shouldn’t judge you for being like that. They should just love you anyway. But God did say to me. You have not need to be scared over these things. I am with you. How true that is. But it still doesn’t stop me being scared. Keeping you all in prayer. Love today’s reading Mary. Love Dawn Ferguson-Little xx
Wonderful word today and thank you for the chance to receive the book! If we are honest, I believe we all struggle at times with feeling like we are worthy. Thank you for the reminder that we are enough! We have been made in His image and that is Enough!!!❤️❤️❤️
Oh how often I struggle with feeling this way. When you are overweight, it’s easy to feel as though you are too much in every way. To feel as though you need to somehow shrink yourself physically and make up for that by being overly nice and going out of your way for everyone. Thank you for the reminder and for the chance to win this awesome prize pack!! My heart was encouraged by this devotion!
Thank you soooo much for this message!!! I have known a dear client who struggles as you have, and will forward this to her. And…you went on to include many of my struggles as being part of me, whom God loves! I am constantly criticizing myself for being those things and this calmed my heart.
I’m in the middle of “life not being ok,” and even though I’m seeking God everywhere and all the time, I could certainly use some help with it!
Elaine,
Abba Father, You alone know Elaine’s situation. Help her to feel & know you are with her always. Get her through this “Red Sea” trial in her life. Make life good again. Shower her with your love & hugs! AMEN!
Blessings & hugs (XXXXXXXXXXX) 🙂
I needed to read this today. I realize I have come to the point where I am constantly apologizing for everything. Even the men that I work for have started saying/typing in correspondence to me, “You don’t need to apologize for that.” Just happened yesterday, actually. It really is so deeply ingrained in me that I have to apologize. I believe I purchased this book but I have not read it. Ugh. I keep doing this with the books that I purchase. So anyways, I believe this summer has been a constant reminder to myself that I do matter. Everything in life feels so heavy right now, so I believe this would help me remember that it’s not all bad. I also just came off of all of my vacation time for the past year, so there is a realization that reality is back in full swing for quite a while. Thanks for another opportunity to win.
Mary, thank you, thank you, thank you!!
I feel like I’m always apologizing for something so I can totally relate to your message. Thank you for redirecting me back to Jesus this morning! I hear Him say, you are Mine, you are loved, you are chosen!❤️
Love, Heidi
I have not been acknowledging the feeling of worthlessness I have till I read your piece,then the tears came ! At one time I felt alive and strengthened by The Holy Spirit and could see HIS Work in And through me. Now I am worn out .I look forward to Heaven where I can rest in myLORD.
I hope I win the packet ! Thank you for your en-courage-ment!
Thank you for this perfect reminder–And no matter how much space you take up or how you take up that space, you are welcome and wanted and loved. I’m so thankful He loves me just as I am.
This is a powerful article for me because at the age of 66ys. I still find myself apologizing saying I’m sorry . I struggle with self image and get flustered and clumsy at times. It’s a habit I’ve tried to break but at times feel the need to apologize for being me..
Thank you
I like it when the Holy Spirit is teaching me about myself. I am a pretty good doctor of sorts but I am not easy on myself as a patient.
This Take Heart is for me and my emotions. I have lived most of my young adult life wanting those around me to smile and be well. My Mother said, everybody is not going to think or act like me. Now at my 62 years of learning to allow God to re-teach me things I did not get right growing up.
Self care is what my youngest daughter taught me about. I am still learning. It’s really appropriate to set aside personal time to relax. It’s wonderful to have your own agenda for your leisure time. Feeling guilty is a trick of the enemy. Ask God to help you labor to enter His rest. Yes, it’s Biblical and women and caregivers really need Spiritual Guidance every day.
Don’t give up on things you enjoy. I like to color, I like seeing orchestras perform on PBS, I like animals and learning about them, I really enjoy being around babies and their mamas and I enjoy learning principles and precepts from the Bible.
For much of my adult life, I have been overwhelmed by my size. Being overweight is a heavy burden to bear. Psalm 68:19 (paraphrased) gives me this view; Blessed be the Lord Who bears my burdens and carries me day by day. Anything you have a challenge with concerns our Heavenly Father; Anxiety and Depression, Phobias, Financial Debt, Family and Marriage Struggles, Job Insecurity and Personal Relationships. These life issues can steal your joy. You won’t be aware of it until the Holy Spirit brings it to your attention and your heart.
Please know that God truly loves His children and no one or nothing can separate us from God’s love.
Enjoy your day.
I don’t always get to read my Incourage emails, but when I do, they always fit exactly with what I have going on in my life. I have really been struggling with feeling like I matter to the people around me.
Thank you for showing me that I do matter to the One most important.
Oh how many times I have felt “in the way” or like I didn’t fit! This needs to be added to my “read soon” list!
This is something I need right now in my life. I’m just now starting in a new phase of life, and need the encouragement that this devotional would give. Please enter me into this contest!
It’s like you can read my mind! My prayers to God are to help me be quiet, not talk so loud, keep comments to myself, etc. It is who I am and it is so tiring to try to change. But you reminded me that God loves me just the way I am.
I loved reading this post. I feel like I’m definitely too me and too much, even though I’m not big physically. You can be small and never fit, you know? This post was also important for me because I’m an impatient person due to anxiety. I feel boxed in and trapped sometimes in public spaces and, in my mind, take it out on people who are overweight, thinking nasty thoughts about them. Then I hate how I feel about myself for being so ugly. Even though I’d never say anything about someone’s weight, I think the energy I must give off is negative and I don’t want to be that person. This is the sin I’m struggling with now and I’m asking Jesus to help me to be kinder and more pleasant in public. This essay was a blessing for me. I don’t want people like you to feel the way you described and I certainly don’t want to contribute to that. Thank you for sharing this.
I hope to win the contest to help me in my journey to become person I envision who is centered in Christ, but if I don’t win I’m sure whoever does will benefit from it.
Wow. I relate so much as I’m constantly apologizing for talking too much or other things about myself that I’m self conscious about. I need to remind myself more that I’m lived and accepted no matter what.
This spoke to me today, in these moments in time … You see I am going through some things in my life, wondering if God hears me and wondering why he has not answered me? Then I read this and it gives me hope. No matter what I’m going through, God is beside me holding my hand and letting me know this to shall pass child of mine… I know that is true as he has done so much in the past for me and continues to do so in the present. He is about to doing it, even in the small things I do not see, but I know He is there and will continue to be there for me always no matter what I am lead to believe otherwise. God is my rock and my stronghold no matter what. I just have to hold on and be strong.
That devotional really touched my heart. It made me cry and happy at the same time knowing just how much God loves me.
Each day, I look forward to curling up with my copy of Take Heart! I know I’ll be reminded of who I truly am in Christ and that I’m His Beloved despite all my imperfections and botched attempts at life!
This devotional really touched me because I could so relate. Thank you for sharing
Oh, this so hit home with me! I’m recovering from compound fractures of my ankle & surgery. I live alone with no family nearby. My neighbors have been very kind & thoughtful, but I find myself apologizing all the time to them. They have said some things that have caused me to see how they really feel about me & it is very hurtful. I will never measure up to their expectations, but God loves me & understands! Thank you for these words!
Thank you for sharing. Sometimes I take up too much space, so you remind me that God loves me just as I am.
Life is filled with many obstacles currently. I would love to have a devotional I can turn to that provides a “I’ve been there as well” viewpoint.
Seems this post was written directly for me. I suffer with depression, anxiety, chronic back pain, overweight, and a few other medical issues. I can’t purchase the book at this time but would love to win one. I so enjoy reading how God has helped someone because it always leaves me with a warm feeling inside and I certainly could use that in my life right now.
Seems this post was written directly for me. I suffer with depression, anxiety, chronic back pain, overweight, and a few other medical issues. I can’t purchase the book at this time but would love to win one. I so enjoy reading how God has helped someone because it always leaves me with a warm feeling inside and I certainly could use that in my life right now.
When you spoke about how you felt on the airplane. I could relate so much. Everything that went through your mind goes through mine. I also feel bad that people have to look at me.
I’ve tried and am trying to understand how God has made me just how I am.
I’m the one who got overweight. A lot of what is wrong with me I feel is my fault.
I just ordered this book from Amazon. I look forward to reading it as there are many times I certainly need to “take heart” as I face conflicts. I do believe God has a plan for my life in serving others. Today that service seems too much in light of a friend’s complete disregard of my feelings, etc. It seems that she considers my help not enough even though I have helped her many times over. Today I am worn out from helping!
When I was a kid, Mom used to tell me, “Jeannie, enough is enough.” I guess I was too much … something. She was a loving Christian mother. But those crushing words still live in my memories. I forgive her. And I’m (still) learning to love me. I’m just right for God’s plan and purpose for me in this world …
This devotional really hit home for me! Thank you for helping me remember that God loves all of me❤️
In Courage,
Thank you for this devotional telling us that we are welcome, wanted & loved. This world has a way of making us feel unwanted, unloved & less than. But Jesus says otherwise. He looks at His creation & says you are more than loved. He went to the cross for you. So thankful for His loving kindness. Now more than ever this world needs more of His love & light shown to them. I do that by volunteering at Loaves & Fishes food bank. I see lives changed by simply giving them food boxes or a nice meal. Occasionally we pray for the people. One person asked when they had church. Maybe just maybe we can get another life saved by helping out & letting them know they are loved no matter what!!
Blessings 🙂
Thank you for your encouragement. We are indeed wondrously made and deeply loved.
I would so love to win this prize pack. The devotion today was amazing. I could hear the Holy Spirit whispering for me to go to incourageme.com and I’m so glad I listened! He always gives us exactly what we need!! We struggle with so much with chronic illness and I know that this would speak directly to my heart ❤️. Thanks for the chance to win!!
This was an encouraging post. Sometimes we spend our days saying sorry sorry sorry… but we need to focus more on the daily joys instead of starting or ending by saying … Sorry