Why am I so confident???

Confidence
I’ve decided to touch on a topic that I continuously get asked about. There are so many times that I have tried to write this or make a video to explain and I always feel like it is such a simple explanation that I never upload the content. You are probably thinking…Sarah, if it is so simple wouldn’t it be easy to upload?
 
Well, yes and no. It is simple because there is only one explanation to my own confidence.
 
The BIG Question: “Sarah why and how are you so confident?”
My answer: GOD.
 
It is as simple as that. A single three letter word. However, it is so much more complex than that.
 
My parents
My parents are a large part of why I am who I am today. They raised me in a loving home full of faith. As a kid I remember us having “circle prayer” every night before bed where we read the bible and prayed together as a family. My parents didn’t make life easy for me. They didn’t give me things to adapt to my arm. They had me figure out challenging tasks on my own and if I needed help I knew they would be there to assist me. My parents did not treat me any different from my brother even those I obviously was physically different. My brother picked on me just like every brother, and my parents pushed me to always do my best and reach to do greater in all I did. I have faith because I grew up in a home where my parents taught me about Jesus and showed me his love and grace. I am determined because my parents pushed me in whatever I choose to do. My parents let me know from a young age that God has created me with one arm for a rhyme, reason, and purpose. I am blessed to have parents that have raised me to love Jesus. I am blessed to have been given the greatest parents I could have ever asked for.
 
Growing Up
            I grew up in a small community just big enough to be a city and I love it dearly. Everyone knew my story. On the first day of school my parents explained to the kids in my class that I was no different than them, and explained my story. Growing up I never realized I was super different from the other kids around me and I honestly didn’t care. I played every sport that I could try as a kid, and I found ways around different struggles I faced. I never questioned who I was or why I was created with one arm really, but that doesn’t mean that I didn’t have rough days…. Which I’ll get to that later. As a kid we do not worry about fitting in as much as we do when we grow older. We do not care if we fit into society’s standards and we don’t mind if we don’t have the best clothes or the perfect body or the coolest shoes.
            As we grow older, it seems to matter more. With technology advances and constantly scrolling through social media pages, we gain this idea that we need to look “perfect” like the models we see on social media, on TV, and in magazines. The problem with this is one, children are getting cell phones and social media at younger ages. 13 year olds are now wearing clothes most girls didn’t wear until they were 20. We are pressuring younger kids to look and act a certain way, and as a result they have a lower level of confidence and self-worth. However, I believe that we do not have to allow society’s views to change our own. We need to in all situations give it to God and trust his plan for our lives.
 
Hard Times
            While I have always been known to be comfortable and confident (which I am) doesn’t mean that there aren’t and haven’t been times that are hard. There are night for me just like so many of you that I cry at night because the stares got too much that day, or the task that I so badly wanted to figure out, I never did. I am human, we all are human. Which means that we are all imperfect human beings. At the age of eight it was difficult for me to watch every girl in my grade put their hair in a ponytail and I couldn’t yet. It was difficult to watch kids jump rope in gym class and I had to sit on the sideline. It was hard transitioning into college where no one knew me or my story and I had to deal with stares wherever I went, and guys asking me in the gym if I needed a hand. HAHAHA WELL OBVIOUSLY!!!! The thing is…
 
IT IS OKAY TO HAVE HARD TIMES BUT…..
                                                                        DO NOT LET THOSE TIMES DEFINE YOU
Your differences do not define who you are. However, your differences and the hardships that you experience and go through are a part of your story. They are a part of your story that God had planned for your life since before you were even born.
 
It all comes down to one simple thing: MINDSET
 
You can choose to live a life full of brokenness or you can find hope in it and live a life full of faith, love, hope, grace, and wholeness through Jesus.
 
My Faith
            So remember when I said above how we are all imperfect human beings???? If you don’t go have a quick recap! Here’s why I live by my saying “IMPERFECTLY PERFECT”
 

• WE ARE CREATED IMPERFECTLY (Imperfect) to begin with by God. Only God is perfect.
• In God’s eyes we are PERFECT TO HIM.

 
Bible Verses I have lived by my whole Life:

• Philippians 4:13:
  • “I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.”
• Jeremiah 29:11
  • “For I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope, and a future.

These are my two favorites and have been since a very young age.
 
As I made clear before my faith is the sole purpose to why I am who I am today. God is the sole reason to why I am so confident in my arm and who I am. He has created all of us fearfully and wonderfully. He made no mistake in creating you. Your differences have a purpose to your story. You may not understand that purpose right now but, trust me he has one. Do not find your worth in things on earth, especially society. Your worth is not found in clothes, shoes, makeup, the latest technology, your friend group, or socially. You worth is found in one thing only.
YOUR WORTH IS FOUND IN GOD.
 
Whenever you feel unworthy, or uncomfortable, like you are an outcast and a lost sheep. Just know,
 
“For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.” – Philippians 1:6

• God has begun work in you since the very beginning, and his work is not done yet. Believe in his work and trust his plan for your life. Know that it is not in your own plan but God’s. If you look for the sign’s God is giving you, you will find them. But if you have no desire to find them, they will be there but lost in your own self.

 
"Be strong and courageous, do not be afraid or tremble at them, for the LORD your God is the one who goes with you He will not fail you or forsake you." – Deuteronomy 31:6

• Everyday, be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid of the people around you, do not try to fit in with them. Throughout everyday just be yourself, be who you were created to be. If you are unsure of who you are, Pray, and ask God to lead you in the direction you are suppose to go. Do not be afraid of the obstacles God puts in your path, they have a purpose. It might be hard at first but later you will see why God gave you that obstacle. Throughout the process He is always with you.

 
I can remember when I was younger and I would get extremely anxious about test’s in school because I wanted to do well. However, I knew God was with me so I always set out a pencil for him and prayed he would guide me through the test. I knew he was with me and I no longer would be anxious because he was there sitting next to me.
 
 
“For the LORD will be your confidence And will keep your foot from being caught.”
– Proverbs 3:26

• Your worth does not come from the world around you. Your Worth comes from God. Do not get caught up in society’s idea of perfection. You are not and will never be perfect. We are created imperfectly but our faith in God makes us imperfectly perfect. In Him we see our strength, our worth, and our confidence grow. Do not let your foot get caught in the world. The Lord will lead you.

 
“Trust in the LORD with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight.” –Proverbs 3:5-6

• For you planners, I being one of them. This is something I have always struggled with. I have always had a very strategic plan for my life and it took me a very long time to understand that my plan is probably not going to work out exactly the way I think or want it to. God is going to throw you some curveballs but they are going to put you where you need to be in each moment of your life. Trust HIM. TRUST HIS PROCESS.

'Do not fear, for I am with you; Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.' – Isaiah 41:10
 
For those of you who have constantly asked me about this subject I have one answer to my confidence and yours. The answer is:
GOD