It is believed that it took Noah less than 100 years to build the ark; not to mention he was 500 years old when this happened. Crazy how God does BIG things when his servants follow. Although I did not build it; my ark came in the shape of a farm girl wearing a pair of high-heeled shoes.
February 13th 2014, I bought my first pair of high heels. Little did I know that in 7 months, those same high heels would be walking across the stage at Miss America on a whirlwind adventure. I remember telling my parents that I was ready and had full faith that God was pulling me into this “pageant” world of what I thought was just hairspray and butt glue. Week by week he began to unfold this intricate, perfectly planned journey that I was literally gracefully falling down.
From the moments of crying because I had to eat pancakes made from egg whites, the elliptical with high heels, or the mental breakdown because I couldn’t put ketchup on my chicken; I was absolutely blind from the magnificence of his good will.
It wasn’t until I was at Miss New Mexico that I really saw the big picture. I remember staying up until 3-4 AM diving into his word; just waiting for the call to my family at 7:30 to tell them about the revelation I had in my sweet late-night conversation with my King. I was going to win; whether I liked it or not because I was made for such a time as this.
After I finished my interview; I walked into the lobby and laid on the ground (sobbing) because I had no idea what I had just got myself into. I called my family while they were at lunch, sobbing like a hysterical little child because I knew I was going to win—and after all I was just a farm girl whose closest experience to this was taking my sheep Pinky into the ring for Wool Lead.
Throughout the week of Miss NM I had ups and downs, but was able to focus on him through the valleys and the mountains. When I won I remember looking into the lights and it was so peaceful because I could feel his pride of me faithfully following--even though I was walking without knowing my next steps.
Going to Miss America seems unreal because I had no idea just how BIG it was to represent my sweet land of enchantment. One day we went to a shelter in Atlantic City, and I was assigned to go interact with the children who lived there. I started crying when I stepped off the bus because I could feel his arms wrap around my heart; and I knew this was going to be a pinnacle of my life.
After hours of sitting on the floor with this amazing angel; whose love for the Lord was so contagious, I knew why God had me travel so far. The director of the shelter had to pull this sweet child away as we both parted ways with tears in our eyes, but love in our hearts. I sat on the bus (actually they called them jitneys) and cried like I had cried in the lobby at Miss NM; but this time it was because I knew exactly what I had gotten myself into.
I love the story of Esther, and her bravery as she fought for God’s Kingdom. Esther 4:14 says “Who knows if perhaps you were made for such a time as this?”. I can only imagine what Esther was going through--which made my ketchup fiasco look so small; but there were so many times that I knew he had made me this “queen” to fight for his kingdom.
Y’all my year as Miss NM was so hard, through extreme weight loss, weight gain, physical ailments, issues wrapped around the title itself, and the negative people just trying to drag me down it was nonetheless hard. I remember minutes after I won I was physically attacked by two parents of fellow contestants; that night just awestruck in the idea that I had made someone that angry; the Lord put it on my heart to “Just love them”. (And side note being able to vocally forgive them in person at a later date; and tell them that I have prayed for them was without a doubt one of the biggest growing lessons in my life.)
Needless to say I am still reaping so many lessons and SO MANY blessings from my year of wearing that crown. The best part about it is that I have an EVERLASTING crown that shines far more than that plastic one. I know that God gave me those struggles, fears, and tears paired with a soft heart and bravery to fight for his Kingdom. To be vulnerable with my struggles, to walk hand in hand with others through their struggles, and to fight for those without a voice. Also to show that with the Lord ANYTHING is possible—just look at the farm girl who went to Miss America.
This is where The Brave Company gives me the “feels” each time I have a customer who tells me they feel beautiful when they wear a piece from the store. I know what it feels like to feel as though I am not “good enough”; I felt this as I would hate my body in a swimsuit, even though I was so unhealthily skinny. BUT Galatians 4:7 tells us that we are no longer slaves to “perfection” but we are heirs to the throne.
The Brave Company was developed to empower women to break that slavery of societies pressure to look or feel a certain way. We are NOT slaves, but we are DAUGHTERS OF THE KING. The Brave Company is just a stepping stone to arm girls and women with confidence and power to show up, and fight for His Kingdom. We are good enough, we are strong enough, and we are brave enough to face the battles ahead of us—because who knows, maybe you were made for such a time as this?
