Sarah-Beth Thompson

2019 has held a lot of really hard, really difficult and really uncomfy changes.

A phrase Louie Giglio said at Passion in the beginning of the year has been the flotation device keeping my head above the waters the past few months. “Your situation may change, but Jesus never will.” My entire world is being wrecked, everything I know is about to change. While I’m obviously not invincible, not much scares me — but the idea of an unknown future? Talk about terrifying. Whether it be through wise counsel or the quiet whispers in the darkest times, time and time again King Jesus has spoken the words “I am with you” across my heart.

I won’t lie, I’ve been through a lot in my short seventeen years, but never could I have imagined the hurt that would be the product of the past few months.

Throughout scripture God reminds us that He’s with us – Isaiah 41:10, Zephaniah 3:17, Matthew 28:20, and the list goes on.

I don’t know what your circumstances are or how they make you feel but I can tell you one promise that will always be kept – King Jesus is with YOU! Always. Never will He leave you, never will He forsake you (Deuteronomy 31:6).

When you are facing seemingly unbearable pain, Jesus is there holding your heart. When your situation takes a turn for the worse, Jesus is there with arms stretched wide. When you on on the mountain top, He’s celebrating with you. When you’re in the valley, His heart is broken for you. Your situation may change, but Jesus never will. It is no secret that we will face some crazy difficult situations in this life, but Christ has guaranteed us that He is right by our side, feeling everything we feel. He has promised joy in the pain and peace in the suffering. Even if it’s hard to detect, it’s there, HE is there, fighting your battles right beside you. One of my favorite Scriptures says that we will suffer, but to “be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you life as your victor’s crown” (Revelation 2:10). Gods promises remain true, no matter the season you are walking, dancing, or barely crawling through.

In all honesty, I really despise my circumstances, but I know that they’ve been given to me to refine me into the woman of God that I was created to be. And that’s the same message that has been promised to you – because God’s love always remains true, He is always refining you in the fire, and He is always with you.

A Look at Truth:

Isaiah 41:10 – “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

Zephaniah 3:17 – “The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you,  but will rejoice over you with singing.”

Matthew 28:20 – “… And teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”   

So I’ve started a blog. This is a big step (in the right direction) for me. It’s something that I’ve dreamed of for years but lacked the courage to actually start. That’s a thing for me, I have all of these ideas, but I’m so crippled by criticism and fear that I don’t try and therefore miss out on so many amazing opportunities. Senior year, in particular, I’ve been learning to say “yes.” Over and over, I’ve been floored by how cool (& fun!) it is to just step out and faith, saying “yes,” and trusting God with the rest. So here I am, stepping out and starting a blog. I have no sense of an idea for how the future of this will look, but that doesn’t matter. The party has started people.

For years, I wanted to start something creative (a blog, YouTube, etc). However, I never did because I didn’t want people to think I was weird or not good enough. I chose to stay in my lane, not drawing attention to myself, never rocking the boat. But friend, living in fear of the thoughts of others makes for a boring and suffocating life. The predictable path may be “easier” but truly, whichever road you take there will be pain due to the nature of this sin-filled world. So, why not dance through life on the path filled with fun? I’m learning to live a FULL life, and that is such a cool thing to watch unfold.

Once I began to learn how to not be afraid of the thoughts of others, I started to compare myself to others. “I’m not pretty enough to do this, I’m not creative enough to do that,” etc. Sit down Satan, I know that those are all lies. I believe that as children of a creative Father, we are all creative beings. But that creativity doesn’t fit into a box, it varies person to person. The church I went to growing up was filled to the brim with the “artsy” types, so loving art was your “in” with the people there. Now don’t get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with that, but it’s SO not me. I tried to fit in for so long before I finally realized that hey, I don’t have to keep pretending that this is who I am! I’d prefer science over art anyday, I can’t even draw a stick figure, and I honestly could never thrift shop again and be perfectly happy.

All of this to say, I’m still creative. Just because creativity for me doesn’t look like painting or poetry doesn’t mean that I don’t possess the ability to make something beautiful. My creativity shines through in the words I write, the recipes I try, and the outfits I rock. I’m so excited about this new space to share my version of creativity. I’m learning to allow God to tear down the walls of insecurity in my heart, and to embrace who He created me to be, regardless of who I think I should be. This is a platform without rules; A place to share everything from what King Jesus is teaching me to new recipes I’m trying. This is going to be so cool and I hope you enjoy this crazy journey with me.

Much love; Much Jesus;

SB