Graced to Slay
Today marks 30 years of life, overall 30 years of Grace. I know when you initially read the title of this blog post what you were supposed to see was a picture of me rocking my first signature tee, don't worry they are in production as you're reading this and will be available soon. However, I’m sure you assumed this blog post was just another phrase coined by a makeup artist. Although this may be true to a degree, makeup was not the original thought behind this simple phrase “Graced to Slay”. When these three words came to me I knew it described everything that I have dealt with and have been dealing with on a personal level over the last decade of my life.
I have been Graced to Slay. Kelly, what do you mean, “You’ve been Graced to Slay” I’ve been graced to take on any and all challenges and still come out on top of them all. The “challenges/changes of life" will be something that you have to deal with, great or small, but you have to know that you have what it takes within you to come out on top of those challenges and it appear as if you’ve never had to deal with anything. That is a huge part of God’s grace. You can go through a situation where you should be seriously affected and/or damaged and you come out on the other side as though nothing ever took place.
I have found myself over the past decade dealing with things I would have never imagined myself having to deal with as an individual. Growing up, I didn’t have a cushy lifestyle, but I had everything I needed and at times a little more. It was when I left home after high school and moved out of student housing on my own that life began to really happen. The past decade revealed a lot of things to me. I quickly learned who was a friend and a foe, who could be trusted and who couldn’t, how to maintain life as an adult, how to deal with sudden health changes, how to get over a broken heart (a few times too many), and most of all how to overcome the challenges I faced on a daily basis. Talk about a reality check on a surmountable amount of levels. At some point in life, we will have to endure such things and more. There is good news, we can overcome those same things, as I always like to say with grace and a smile.
I once had a friend tell me how she was amazed that I didn’t look like what I was dealing with at the moment and everything I had been through up to that point. She made a point to say that you’re always smiling, laughing, and making sure your appearance is A1. It wasn’t that I was working overtime to mask my challenges, but I was working overtime to make sure my challenges didn’t get the best of me to take me out completely.
I remember when I rented my first apartment, I had to sleep on an air mattress because I couldn’t afford a bed. The only furniture I had in my huge one-bedroom apartment was a table with three chairs, a desk, a midsized sofa, all given to me from an office space that went out of business. It was also during this same season I worked three jobs and I only had enough money to pay rent, utilities, and occasionally groceries. I opened my fridge one day and all I had was a waffle from the Waffle House, a can of soda, and a stick of butter. I was seriously adulting while going to school full-time. As my former boss would so eloquently say, “The Struggle was Real” yet I continued to take one day at a time.
I’ve worked a few jobs, quit a few jobs…I’ve even had to deal with a job where I was affected by cutbacks and my paycheck was a big fat question mark at times. What did I continue to do during this time, especially during the cutbacks, continue to show up to work and do my job, sounds crazy to some… but I showed up to work anyway. During this time there were periods of time when I didn’t know when and if I could/would be able to make ends meet. My car has stalled on the interstate in the midst of heavy traffic, I’ve had to catch the bus late at night when it’s scary and walk a mile alone just get home. All of these were challenges that I have had to deal with and find my way through. Someone one may be reading this and they may be thinking these are not even worth discussing! This is what’s makes us different yet the same, our challenges may be different, but it is evident that life’s challenges are real and we both have what it takes to get through our challenges great or small. Honestly, I'm scraping over the top of a lot of different things to paint a picture. However, what is your story/testimony? Have you shared it?
This is where “Graced to Slay” comes from, the ability for one to overcome what they are going through no matter how great or small. It’s simple encouragement to remind yourself that you can get through whatever you are currently dealing with. Your challenges don’t come to take you out, they come to make you stronger. It doesn’t matter what you’re facing today, tomorrow, next week, next month, a year from now. You have what it takes to overcome those challenges!
One thing that has helped me a lot within the past few years has been exercising the power of confession or for somewhat may be considered daily affirmation. Since today is my birthday, I wanted to do something a bit different and instead of being so focused on receiving gifts, I wanted to give something away. I created a free downloadable for you guys. It’s 30 daily affirmations that you can say aloud daily to help push you along and through anything that you may be dealing with. I encourage you to take the time look at your life and create your own affirmations that fit your current life’s situation. There is power in behind the words that you speak! I must admit if I didn’t start to change my outlook on life, my mind, and my language I probably would still be somewhere lying on my air mattress wondering if this what life has to offer me? I don’t have it all figured out, but I do that I am not where I was and for that I am grateful. If you don’t remember anything else, remember that every day is a new day and with each day comes new grace to take on the challenges you face! You, my friend, have been graced to slay!
Peace and Blessings
-XO Kelly Nicole
Download your 30 Daily Affirmations