I have heard a new buzzword lately, and, not surprisingly, I am about five years behind on the new word. The new word I learned is bougie, or boujee (the word has multiple spellings I have learned). It comes from the word bourgeoisie, meaning ‘of middle-class status.’ Later on, this word took on the meaning of people who have upper societal status.
Feeling Inadequate
So when I volunteered to write for Lean Into Jesus on Facebook, I felt immediately inadequate. I have been reading the blogs for a while, and I knew all those other bloggers have plenty of “boujee,” and I do not. Not meaning the bloggers are “uppity” (a country word I use), just meaning their words are far more elegant and worthy of print. Also, when I write, I do facts. Owning my own business for 40 years, I wrote with bullet points and bold print headings to motivate my staff to help achieve the needed financial goals that would benefit us all—no room for boujee in the animal feed business. There is not very much boujee on Highway 227 in all the feed mills I called my home territory for most of my life. A crop of freshly harvested field corn or a field of freshly baled hay was boujee to me!!
Last year, I decided I needed a pick me up, and my 20-year-old home needed a facelift. I have no decorating sense (no boujee in my home either), and I still have the same furniture and decor—time to change. I started contacting my decorator and other contractors, and skilled craftsmen. Covid, supply shortages, and a bout with sepsis delayed my plans. I was so disheartened. After surviving leukemia and many complications for the last four years, I wondered why God was not letting me have the remodel I so coveted to lift my spirits. Then it dawned on me; I wanted my physical house and its renewal to lift my spirits! Then the words bubbled up from the Holy Spirit within me; I should have been coveting the renewal of my relationship with our Lord, not my physical home. So God delayed my construction project so I could focus more on Him. As it always ends up, God’s timing is perfect.
Getting Ready
In getting ready for my remodel, I cleaned out one closet and made it my prayer closet. If you remember the movie War Room, you will know what I am talking about. Then I started a praise journal. We tend to ask way more of God than we praise Him. Next, I started reading more on prayer to deepen my relationship with our precious Savior. Even though the remodel was still on my mind, I felt like God had taken control of the remodel and the timing. I gave it to Him. Trust Him.
“You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” Jeremiah 29:13
My remodel started on February 14th of this year, on Valentine’s Day. It is a mess but will be so worth it. Listen to when God speaks to your heart through the Holy Spirit. Delay what will not bring glory to Him and give (even your material wants) to God to decide if it is what He really wants for your life. Give it ALL to him, the large and small things. God is waiting.
Jeri Lynn Daniel
Lean into Jesus Ministries
#jerilynndanielblogs