Thankful for Nuggets

No, I’m not referring to Chicken Nuggets, although my girls love them. I’m talking about little “gold nuggets” from God that He gives me to combat REJECTION. I spend quite a bit of my spare time pursuing my passion for acting. As audition notices pop up, I submit my resume, photos, and links to my work. Sometimes I receive absolutely no response to my submission, which in a round-about way is saying, “no thanks” which equals rejection. Other times, I get a response asking me to either submit a video-taped audition, or go to an audition in person. Many times after my audition, I do not hear back, again equaling rejection. I know that a lot of factors go into casting an actor for a role besides just the performance, but still rejection hurts, no matter what the reason. It’s hard not to get discouraged, and let me tell you, this is just the time that the enemy loves to come in and fill my head with lies. “You’re not good enough,” “No one likes you,” and the list goes on and on. Usually about the time when I’m ready to throw in the towel, that’s when the nugget comes. Sometimes it’s an encouraging email from a casting director, even if I didn’t get the role. A letter filled with a compliment arrives in the mail at just the right time. The day after losing a role, I gain a much better one. My most favorite nuggets, however, come straight from God’s Word. Here’s the most recent nugget I received:

“As you come to Him, the living Stone- rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to Him.” 1Peter 2:4 NIV

Jesus knows exactly how it feels to be rejected. My petty rejections pale in comparison to the rejection He endured. The TRUTH to combat the lies the enemy tells me is that I am precious to God. No matter how many times I am rejected on this earth, He still accepts me, even when my performance is poor. He cares enough to send me gold nuggets along the way too, just to remind me! Are you dealing with rejection in your life right now? Have you experienced rejection lately from a friend, family member, or even your spouse? Did you not get selected for something you really wanted? Look for the nuggets, if you don’t see any, ask God to send you some. Be alert, God may also be trying to send a nugget through you to someone else!

Who is your guide?

This summer I was blessed along with my family to travel to Spain. We decided while there to take a day trip to Morocco. We boarded our ferry for the ride across the Straights of Gibraltar. Who knew that our first stop on the African continent would actually still be considered Spain? Yes our first stop was the town of Cueta which is a Spanish territory. We boarded a bus and were driven across the border into Morocco. We were introduced to our guide, Abdul. While I truly appreciated the information he gave us on our bus ride, it wasn't until we entered our first open-air market that I began to realize how truly valuable Abdul was to us! We wandered through narrow uneven pathways lined with food, spices, chickens, hanging meats, vegetables, etc. As we went up and down steps, there were tiny rooms with tailors sewing, looms for rugs and fabrics, florists, toys, and the list goes on and on. Mixed along the way were doors to what appeared to be small apartments and many, many cats! We twisted and turned through one of the largest mazes I had ever been through. It wasn't long into our walk that our group began to sense two things:

1. That if Abdul ditched us at any point, we'd be completely lost.
2. That if Abdul ditched us at any point, we would no longer be safe.

Have you ever been in a situation where everything looked just fine, but you couldn't help but feel an overwhelming sense that things were just not right? My husband noticed that we had a few men following us, pretending to be on cell phones and uninterested in us, but yet always right next to us. He finally mentioned something to Abdul who then admitted that they were part of our "security." I noticed cash money being slipped to various men along our path. I think the others in our group began to have the same feeling, because we all began to stick VERY close to Abdul. Well I can say that Abdul did his job well, because we all made it out of there, unharmed. It was a fantastic experience and I am so glad we were able to experience it! Here's a picture of Abdul:

Recently, I've really been battling with the thought "Who is MY guide?" As a Christian, it's easy to just blurt out, "Well God, of course!" But is that always true? I mean how many times do I pick up the phone to call my mom or a friend and ask them questions about how to handle my kids? Or turn to self help books, videos, podcasts, blogs or tv shows? Do I TRULY always go to God first? How much do I worry, try to plan outcomes, and "make" things happen? Do I let Him be my guide? Or am I sometimes just my own guide? Do I determine what I want and then just go for it or decide that because it just feels right, it must be right? What about in my acting, do I consult God before I submit for each project or ask Him to direct me to the next one?

Just as Abdul guided us through the Moroccan Market, my God is available at all times to do the same for me. He can guide me through the maze of my life, through rocky paths, unknown territories, ups and downs, dangerous situations, and guide me when I am completely lost. He can even post "security" guards along my various routes. I don't want to miss out on the scenery of life by following the wrong guide or simply guiding myself! Lord help me to allow You to be my guide in all that I do!

Isaiah 30:21 says, "Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, "This is the way; walk in it." HE truly is our guide!