why I share so much

Since I started blogging a few years ago, I have been given several opportunities to answer the question about why I do it...why I blog. Why I share my life so openly and honestly in such a "public" way.

Some of those questions have come in the form of pure curiosity and even a little admiration, but some have come in the form of judgement or shame.

So I felt like this was a good time to address it, at least in part. I will try my very best to articulate my heart about this!

The main reason I share my story here?

this:

God's love is so intertwined in the journey and story He gives to each of us personally, that He promises to USE it in the overcoming of our enemy! WOAH!! That is so powerful, y'all.

The testimonies He has given you, and given me, that speak and point to His glory...they are weapons! Weapons of warfare that destroy the things which are not of God. Just think about that for a minute. It really does make sense.

Have you ever been in a room of people, and someone shares a story of encouragement? (it could be anything from just a positive outlook, to a testimony of personal healing)  Most likely after that person shared, the level of faith in the whole room spiked up a notch.

I can recall times I have been in settings where a person had some breakthrough about an issue...and then suddenly others started having breakthrough because of the faith they were able to grasp just from witnessing the testimony of another.

Simply sharing our testimony OVERCOMES our enemy.  That alone is enough to prompt me to share my story!

But still the question remains of why I choose to blog the things of my heart and life, and share them on social media for "everyone" to see...

(such a good quote, right? Love me some Brene Brown.)

Well, first of all I want you to know this: I DON'T share everything. I am very conscientious of only writing when and what the Lord tells me to. It's so important to me to be careful of that. Not in a religious performance type of way, but in the sense that I believe things have a specific timing and purpose that i cannot see, and I would not be honoring God's plan for those things if I just sat down a wrote without being led. I desire so much for His voice and His hand to guide me in the sharing of my story. It is for HIS Glory anyways, so why would I not want to be fully led by Him about the details?!

There are some very personal things I have shared here, like about all three of my miscarriages, about the loss of my Dad and how I grieved, and even about my health and some strongholds I was delivered from. (you can read about those here).

But there are also a ton of very personal things, tragedies, traumas, etc. that I do not nor probably ever will share in this space. Not for a reason of hiding or not being transparent...but for the simple fact that the Lord has not released me to share those things. And some things between me and the Lord are just that...between me and Him alone! And I am totally okay with that. Because remember, it is HIS story anyways! And if He ever did say, "Sarah it's time to share this or share that.", then I will be ready!

One of those very intimate things I have blogged about before is my battle with a spirit of Shame.

Shame has had a grip on me for many years, and while I am still battling for freedom from it, it is not something I am fully delivered of. YET!

I love Brene's words above about Shame, and can basically sum it up by saying that for me, (someone who battles with Shame and Unworthiness sometimes) the WORST thing I can do is stay quiet! My enemy wants me to wallow in feeling not good enough or lonely. But I have a weapon, remember?!

And that goes back to the scripture above...that I can OVERCOME Shame by the word of my testimony. Speaking about God's goodness and His presence in my life makes Satan just cringe and flee, exactly what I want him to do.

What specific dagger from Satan could you repel by sharing your own testimony? Ask the Lord, and then let Him guide you even if it feels unknown. Your victory will be greater than you know, I promise!

Another reason I share? to bless others.

It's not like I set out to have some great "ministry" or "calling" to blog so that I can help others, but a beautiful thing has happened in it.

I started blogging 3 months after my first miscarriage (my very first blog post is here), as an outlet for me. I had NO idea I would have friends (the few that knew I had started a blog, ha!), either come to me with their own miscarriage story, or pass my info on to their friends who had been through it.

God's kindness was SO great to me just after one post. Just after being vulnerable with my grief and my pain and my story, He started surrounding me with women who could relate. And for that, I will always be grateful.

And since then, as I have felt led to share more things, like about my deliverance from fear and my healing from Fibromyalgia, I have had the privilege of building some incredible community of friends who can relate, or who want to know more of my story, and share theirs with me. What an honor for me, and what a blessing to the Lord for His Glory to be shared!

And one more reason I will mention right now...blogging and putting myself "out there" has helped me love myself more.

Let me try to explain.

EMBRACING the journey God has given me, Sarah Elizabeth Lowe...that He hasn't given to ANYone else...I can't help but see and appreciate the uniqueness of it. The personal fingerprint of God on my life.

And that perspective is life-changing. It draws my mindset from feeling sorry for the tough parts, and brings me back to realizing that He so beautifully crafted my story to be uniquely mine. And that He wants to use me, and use my life.

And so, I share.

I blog, I instagram, I tweet, I facebook, I email.

It may sound silly to you, and that's totally fine. I know the Lord has not drawn everyone to put pen to paper (or finger to keypad, in this case), and write out their story. And that's ok. You don't have to share it like I do, for it to be powerful in your life!

My desire would just be that you would remember that your story MATTERS. Whether anyone else ever knows the inner parts of your testimony or not...it matters.

You, and your heart and your testimony, are part of this beautiful tapestry He is weaving. The perfect story He is writing.

That's all for now, I am sure I will have more thoughts on this another time.

I want you to know how grateful I am that you listen.

You are a part of my story.