*If you’ve ever struggled with how to respond to injustice in your life, comment JUSTICE to receive an encouraging word.⚖️
“Let’s go home, Mama.”
My heart sank. After giving my best in speaking and nearly selling out all my books, I was on a high and looking forward to dinner with everyone.
But two faces coughed at me, “Mama, can we go home? Don’t feel well. Can you cook?”
“I…”
Cliff breathed a gracious sigh. “Take this,” he said, handing me money. “You go mingle. I’ll put the girls to bed.”
As I held the crisp notes in my hand, the entire afternoon flashed by— of my girls cheering me on, waiting while we ministered to others, waiting as they put inserts into my books for those in the queue… and finally, with twinkling eyes, saying “MAMA, YOU DID A GOOD JOB!” All while feeling under the weather.
I felt a still small voice asking, “Which is more important to you- your private ministry to your girls or your public ministry?”
I closed my eyes.
In the past, what people said to me after I spoke was critical. I’d judge how well I did based on what I received. My heart hinged on other people’s affirmation.
But after my spine operation, after my knee injury, after a long, hard season of crushing and drawing boundaries from unhealthy relationships in the past year, something in me changed.
Cliff said, “It’s like you’re set free, you’re so joyful now when you speak on stage.”
I realized- for the first time in my life, I no longer hinged my worth or value on how others graded me. I had wrestled in the secret place with God- His view matters most.
I felt the Holy Spirit say, “This is your new standard. To go straight ‘home’ with Me & find your affirmation in Me alone. Today sets a new pattern for your life.”
I’m learning, that in an age of social media where everyone has a front row seat to our lives, what we need to fiercely protect is who gets to speak into our lives. Whose affirmation do we seek most? What are our priorities? How do we “weed our feed”?
With a deep breath, I turned to my family and smiled, “Let’s go home, Team Tam.”
✨Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.- Proverbs 4:23