" It takes a while to become who you are called to be"

“The struggle and the wrestling match is closing the gap between who God says you are and how you see yourself.” - Bishop T.D. Jakes

A few weekends ago, my husband and I visited some of his family in Dallas, TX. We always try to attend churches in other cities when traveling, so we researched a few in the Dallas area. As it turned out, The Potter’s House, Bishop T.D. Jakes’ church, was only about 15 minutes from where we were staying, so we decided to attend the morning service there.

Our family members told us the Bishop was usually out of town when people come visit them in Dallas. But this Sunday, Bishop was in the building, and he came with a word! When we walked into the sanctuary, I heard a familiar praise and worship song I remembered from childhood, and I immediately felt at home.

The praise and worship was authentic; the message, phenomenal; the spirit, high.

Bishop spoke on the topic of God’s intentionality. I took so many notes that I barely looked up during service. He paced the floors in the sanctuary, always crossing near the front rows of the church. He walked among the congregation with no script and no podium to tend to.

“The struggle and the wrestling match is closing the gap between who God says you are and how you see yourself. It takes you awhile to become who you are called to be. He will call you the head while you feel like the tail. Only make decisions that complement who you are trying to become. Let go of anything that contradicts your future. The only way to move forward is to be with people that have the same destiny.”- Bishop T.D. Jakes

I didn’t have to think too hard about why this message resonated with me. I am always striving to be the best version of myself in every aspect of my life. However, sometimes I struggle with God’s approach. Sometimes we pray to have a certain title, but we don’t always understand all the territory and responsibility that comes with those titles. What does it mean to be a wife, a mother, a CEO? I am still learning to give myself time in becoming who I am called to be.

I am still becoming a wife, I am still becoming a working professional, I am still learning how to wait for things with the right attitude. Just because you have the title, that doesn’t mean you’re an expert on the subject matter. A woman can give birth to a baby, but it takes time for her to become a mother.

It can feel like a long road between how God sees us and how we see ourselves. We have different perspectives, God and I. There are so many lessons that people have to learn along the way to becoming…

I see what I lack, and He sees the journey ahead and what I have gained so far. In His eyes, there is no lack. It’s all apart of the process to becoming..

Just because we don’t see all the pieces at once, that doesn’t mean that they’re not all coming together.

I still have questions like “God, where are you taking me? Where are we going with this? This area feels so unfamiliar to me, and things are not aligning.”

There was a point in the sermon when I decided to stop writing and just listened. Bishop answered the old questions circling in my head. “You are enough for your assignment, and everything God intended you to do, he equipped you to do.”

“We are created in the likeness of an intentional God. The safest place in the whole wide world is to be within God's intentions.”

I was so glad we stopped by T. D. Jakes’ church before heading back to Memphis. Always recognize when you are at the right place at the right time. I honestly don’t understand every move God makes, but I am getting better with trusting Him along the way. I have learned that God is always orchestrating things in our favor even when it feels like the opposite. This particular sermon was a reminder for me that even though the journey feels uncomfortable at times, I was made for it. As I continue to evolve I will try to see what God sees in me and share his perspective.

When Michelle Obama sat down with Oprah Winfrey to discuss why she chose Becoming as the title of her memoir. She explained that the word becoming sums up her journey, “My journey is the journey of always continually evolving.”

As we evolve and are becoming who we are called to be, we want to keep a few things in mind:

We serve an intentional God
Becoming who we are called to be takes time, so give yourself some time.
Your journey is more connected than you think
You are equipped and made for the challenges and uncertainty ahead
Your decisions today plants seeds into your future. Plant wisely and in the mindset of always considering your future self.
God views you as a conquer and we should share his perspective on how he sees us.