Let's Talk Insecurity:Family

My Special Family (We eat at this DQ each time I go home to visit :)

This is my first Overcoming Insecurity Post and I hope you will find comfort and strength in knowing that you are not alone if you struggle in this area. First and foremost I want you to know that YOU are:

"fearfully and wonderfully made" (Psalm 139:14)

by our heavenly Father and there is no challenge He cannot help you overcome. I am living proof that God is bigger than any challenge or obstacle that stands in our way. Amen!

Over the next few months, I hope you will join with me as we discuss our personal struggles and work together to help our friends and family members bring to light those areas that are preventing us from living the full LIFE that God has planned in advance for us. (Jeremiah 29:11) I welcome and encourage your feedback and suggestions along the way.

IMPORTANT: Please note the Poll regarding this topic on the top left side of this blog. I will be asking other questions from time to time. Your feedback is very important. Please encourage your friends to respond as well. This will guide future discussion topics.

Today's Topic: Family

For the sake of time, I am going to make this post short and sweet. I am starting with family because this is often where our insecurity issues begin. I have a wonderful family and I am very, very blessed. But just because you have a great family, does not mean that this family won't impact your level of security in some way. This was important for me to realize. Every family has issues and strife and how we deal with it can greatly impact our future. And sometimes, even without issues, just where you fall in the sibling birth order can impact you and your security issues for years to come. It is really important that you think way way back to your childhood if you struggle with insecurity. This can really help you find those root causes that you may not even realize exist.

So what specifically do I want to mention about My Family? Well, you see I am the oldest child and the only girl. I was 5'10'' by the 7th grade and rail thin. Unfortunately, I had very little athletic ability-to the dismay of the basketball coaches. I was also extremely socially awkward amongst my peers. I was smart and good at music and hardworking, but I laked the confidence that made other people want to include you.

My brother, Brock, however, has looked like a super model since he was about seven-even having a six pack stomach from that age as well. He was good at sports and always the life of the party. He excelled in the classroom as well. Oh, and did I mention he was also extremely kind to everyone. He was voted Class Favorite each and every year of his life and was voted Best Looking of his Senior Class.

Surprisingly, I was never jealous and I ALWAYS rooted for him, but I did long for the inclusion that he always seemed to acquire.

My youngest brother, Don Tyler is not only talented in several musical instruments but he is also a genius. Seriously, he is a genius. He was Valedictorian of his High School class. He was always well liked by his peers and like my brother, was voted Mr. Ridgecrest High school and Most Likely Too Succeed of his Senior Class.

I was voted Most Dependable! That's me, Ms. Dependable. Not best looking or smartest, just good ol' dependable Berkli. Not bad, I know, but left me feeling a bit inadequate at times. Being dependable is not a bad thing, but it can define you in ways you never really understand until there comes a time when you mess up and weren't the dependable one that everyone counted on.

I am going to stop here for today. Sorry, I guess it really wasn't short and sweet :) I just wanted to give you a sampling of how our family can affect our insecurity. Think about it. (Please note: I know there are a lot of wonderful attributes our family members bestow on us, but I am focusing only on insercuity here.)

Trust in the Lord, with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. (Proverbs 3:5-6)