Other people’s opinion of you is none of your business.

I once had a girl tell me that I have never worked a day in my life the way she had because she owns her own business and that it must be nice to have a sugar daddy take care of me. First of all the “sugar daddy”, she was referring to is my husband. Let’s all take a moment to laugh because if you know us we sure ain’t rollin in the dough. She also clearly wasn’t aware that I worked in a hospital full time before becoming a stay-at-home mom or that I still work PRN. I know she said it out of anger but bless her because I know she has her issues and she was only saying what she thought she knew about me based on what someone else told her. As Rachel Hollis says “Other people’s opinion of you is none of your business.”

We tend to place too much weight on what others think of us. It's not always the ignorant things that strangers/acquaintances say about us sometimes it's much more heavy when it's loved ones. The people that know us through and through and we know them through and through. We know how they will respond to certain words and actions which sometimes puts us in a place where we won't want to be candid with them about our true feelings or circumstances because we know it may not be met with love and grace or understanding.

Society has an opinion too and too often the world tells us to walk away from our complicated relationships or issues because accepting anything less than the world's highest standards is unacceptable and deems us weak for trying to work through the hard things in life. Society screams to leave and move away from each other and in a lot of situations sometimes you should especially if it is dangerous. Though, in not-so-life-or-death scenarios, you shouldn't be shamed for deciding to stay and choose forgiveness.

I believe it's all situational of course of what you decide to stick through or not. It could be a spouse that lied to you, a grown child that stole from you, or a best friend that betrayed you. Whatever it is the opinions of others shouldn't be how you choose to handle the predicament you find yourself in. The people who hurt you don't get to decide that either. Others' actions DO NOT get to dictate how you respond and how you choose to live your life.

Others actions may have made me a victim but I'm not a victim. I choose not to live in a victim mindset because I am an overcomer. It may not appear that way to others but my perceived “weakness” is power in the eyes of God. I want to love like Jesus and I know as long as I live out God's word that He will place me where He wants me and will not forsake me.

If in the end I still end up hurt and heartbroken after choosing love and forgiveness it is still worth it because the only person I have to answer for is myself. I ask this question to myself often, Do I want to lash out in anger and act petty, or Do I want to spread grace and know that when I lay down at night I am at peace with my actions because I acted on what God said for me to do instead of what others thought I should have done. I rest knowing that I am living by God's will for my life and not by the weight of others' thoughts and feelings. Something else Rachel Hollis says though I forgot exactly how she phrased it but this is the gist “stop letting people who are spectators in your life determine the plays.”

That's when I have to pray diligently for God's wisdom and discernment for what my next play should be. I do my best to listen to God and ask what He would have me do. I know that I want to be a woman with a peaceful and kind heart that isn't swayed by this world's idea of fairness. I choose to live Matthew 22:37-39 “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”

My worth is not based on just being a stay-at-home mom. My purpose for this world is to share the word of God and share my testimony authentically. This is what God has called me to do, to tell other people how amazing He is even when my situation is less than ideal. I know these types of blogs are a dime a dozen but I can stand firm in the truth that this is a calling I answered or at least I pray it is. I’ve put off writing a blog for years because the fear and doubt were too strong at one point and it shouted that this was dumb and that no one would care to read. I’ve overcome that fear and doubt because now I don’t care what others will think about this. I want to share how good my God is!