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When I was in high school, I participated in track and field and absolutely loved it! It’s such a great sport because it is both an individual and group activity, encouraging each athlete to strive for their personal best while also working together as a team. One of my favorite events to run was the 4 x 100 meter relay. This race consists of four runners who each run 100 meters, as they methodically pass a small baton to each other at the exact precise moment. The timing has to be absolutely perfect or the team risks dropping the baton or stepping beyond the boundary, either of which disqualifies them. If you watch athletes run this race, it’s truly stunning to see it orchestrated succinctly – as each person somehow hands off the baton to their fellow teammate at each turn. What I learned from this experience is the uniqueness that each runner brings to the race and how every member is a crucial part of the team. No one team member has the exact same gift. Some are faster at the beginning of the race, but taper off toward the last few yards. Others are the fastest runner from beginning to the end, while others might not be the fastest, but they are consistent. Each relay team member is chosen for their unique gifts and talents.

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We live in a world that constantly tells us we should be something different than we are. We’re given messages at every turn that we’re too short, too tall, too skinny, too fat, not educated enough, not smart enough, not talented enough, not pretty enough, not a good enough mom, not a good enough wife … you get the picture. Just look around and you will see the constant pressure to look, feel and act like someone else. And usually, that someone else is totally unrealistic. Of course, it’s great to pursue goals and dreams and it’s fantastic that we continue to improve in all areas of our lives. But not when our ultimate goal is to change who we are and what we were made to do just to fall in line with what culture tells us. We were all created in the image of God with unique and different abilities, specifically made to complete the call God has placed upon our lives. The psalmist beautifully describes this reality:

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“For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb.  I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them” (Psalm 139:13-16).

God doesn’t make mistakes! When we try to become someone else, we can’t authentically be all that we were created to be. Some of us were meant to run businesses while being a mom. Others don’t have that calling and are killing it by being a mom and not working outside of the home. Others are called not to have children at all. You were called by God to run your race, not mine and not anyone else’s. In one of Paul’s epistles, he writes:

 

 

 

 

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“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith” (Hebrews 12:1-2).

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For many years, I felt guilty for working outside of the home, as if that somehow had a bearing on my ability to be a good mom. I made excuses when people asked, “what do you do?” I used to respond something like, “I’m partner at my private law firm, but because my office is so close to home, I’m able to spend valuable time with my kids and since t’s my own business, I can sneak away to their school and sports activities”. Now while all of this is true, I usually provided this information out of guilt. I eventually came to realize that the life I’m living, is a life that God called me to live and I will NOT make excuses for stepping into my calling. And although I’m not a perfect mother, I’m a pretty darn good one! I love my children more than anything. I also love the job God has called me to as well. We should continue to pursue our goals and dreams, but not if we’re simply chasing a dream that isn’t ours. We should take care of ourselves, eat healthy and create positive life choices, but not with the ultimate goal to become the unattainable woman we weren’t created to be or to change the beauty and uniqueness of who we are. We can feel confident that we have everything we need inside of us to become exactly who we were created to be. Hold your head high and run the race God has called you to run. I promise you, when you do this, you will win every time!

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Danielle Augustin inspires others to pursue their dreams and fulfill their God-given destiny. Married for over 26 years with four children, she has both heartwarming and painful experiences to share. Practicing law for nearly 20 years, first as a deputy district attorney, then as a founding partner at her private special education law firm, her perspective on the world around us is enlightening. Danielle believes in the power of prayer and hopes to inspire others to consistently come into the presence of God, seeking His will for their lives. She is currently in her last year of seminary and will be receiving a Master of Arts in Theology in 2019. Danielle has a deep love for the Lord and desires to share the lessons she has learned with other women in order for their lives to be transformed, so that they too can walk in the full power of God and live a life of faith, purpose and joy.