'It's A Set Up!'

👗💃🏻 Back in my "glory days," (referring to high school, and a few years after it - for this post), whenever - I was exuberantly enjoying many experiences of my youth, I had NO idea - THEN, that, many times, futuristically speaking - including - this present tense - "most difficult valley (personally) through which I have traveled - in my life season," that, reminiscing upon those "days of glory," would be so very helpful in - uplifting and encouraging - me! Who knew?! 🤷🏻‍♀️They really have lifted me up...OFTEN! 🙏🏼 This is yet, another "gift" to me - from God, for which I am grateful! 🙌🏼 The obvious example about which I am both, thinking and writing - today, as I watch my hometown's, annual, 'River Days Festival's,' parade, which has been held over 'Labor Day' weekend, for many years.  This post is concerning this festival, and, a couple other subjects, pertaining mostly to my h.s. days.🎡 My focus here is actually - more about being - uplifted - by the memories of several, important occurrences in my life, whenever, in God's gracious, providential, loving, plan for me, that HE - laid it upon people's - hearts and minds - to honor me! ☺️ I understand - NOW, that, ALL of the - attention and honor - in which HE allowed to be given to me, was to ultimately bring - glory and honor - to HIM (then, now, and in the future)! I wish that I had been "right with God," back then, so that, I would have been "used" more for HIS glory!  But, I was, 'saved,' but, a "baby in the Lord," and/or, a "carnal Christian!" 😏😔 This reality is clear to me anymore, but, I was clueless of it - for a long time! 🤷🏻‍♀️ 'God's Word' has revealed important truths - such as this - to me, after years of "consuming" (so to speak) it into my, spirit and being! 📖 Yearly, each high school in our county, selects a female student, from it's 'Junior class,' to represent her school, in the 'Miss River Day's Pageant,' which is one part of the 'River Day's Festival,' the approaching Summer. 👑 It is a HUGE honor to be selected as your school's candidate! 🏆 Most of the schools, allow any 'junior,' young lady, who desires to be in the running, to nominate herself, and/or, have someone nominate (maybe ?) her, to run. However, my school did not open it up - for just anyone to run (not sure if this is how it continues to conduct the selection process), because, if that were the case, I would not have nominated myself (I'm not knocking those who do), and therefore, probably, would not have run, unless, someone else (if had been allowed) would have done it. 🤔 'Portsmouth High School' (PHS) is my 'alma-mater,' and, would use secret ballots, starting in all of the 'Junior class' - homerooms, and then, vote for the homeroom selections, if, I remember correctly.  Eventually, the entire school would vote on the finalists (I forget how many ladies there would be - at that point).  Back then, our "student body" consisted of somewhere between 900-1000 (I think ?).  It is currently quite a bit smaller in number. 🏢 And, although, I really was a "people person" (back then), and, strove to "do unto others as I would have them do unto me (I continue to try to do this - however - have always failed - a lot), I was extremely SURPRISED to be nominated, in our "homeroom election, and, each step of the process, as I continued to be "in the running!" 😳 Needless to say, I was ecstatically flabbergasted, and, terribly happy, whenever, it was announced over the school's intercom - ones, particular afternoon, that, I, Kim Hill, was 'Portsmouth High School's "1981" River Days Pageant's" representative!! 😁 I honestly thought that, one of my beautiful, classmate, friends, who were also nominees, would get it! 😗 That was one of the biggest honors of my life!! 🙏🏼 I comprehend, NOW, that, this honor was - one of the matters to which - I eluded previously - as being - a gigantic, "set-up" by God (part of HIS plan for me), for me - to glorify HIM! 🙌🏼 If, I thanked God back then, I don't remember, but, I did - a few years later, and, have at other times, too, as I am (publicly) NOW!! 🙏🏼 And, hopefully, HE did, is presently, and shall - in the future - continue to use all of it to - honor and glorify - HIMSELF! 🙏🏼🙌🏼 I wasn't crowned - 'Miss River Days,' at the pageant (it was not God's will - period), but, it was - not only an honor, but also, a - privilege and blessing (from my 'Lord'), to have been "Miss "1981" Portsmouth High School River Day's Representative!" 🤗 🎖The float, on which I rode - in the parade - was decorated to the theme, 'Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs' (each candidate chose a different 'Disney' movie as her theme), was designed by me, and, constructed by, a bunch of my, loved ones, friends, and myself. And, it did WIN!!  And, I received a big trophy (winner - for "best float")! 🎈🎉🏆🥇This was/is - ALL - for HIS honor, too!! 🙌🏼 More of my high school honors (given by God) include:  "Freshman Basketball Homecoming attendant," "Sophomore Football Homecoming attendant," "Junior Football Homecoming attendant," and "Senior Football Homecoming QUEEN!" 🏈👸🏽 💐 GOD truly gets - ALL of the credit, honor, and glory, for all of these "gifts!" 👑🙌🏼 I also - thank HIM - for the people whom HE put in my life, and, specifically, in this post, my high school peers, who voted for me - and - enabling me - to be the recipient of them!! ALL of it was "out of my hands!"☺️💕 As a 'preacher's wife' (which is also an honor, and, a calling), sometimes - it is rather difficult for me - to have the - freedom and confidence - to - "just be me" (the real me)! 😩 And, although, there are numerous blessings that - are tied to being a 'p.w.,' there are also, instances - whenever - I am critiqued, criticized, misjudged, and the such (imagined and/or in reality), by my - brothers and sisters 'in Christ,' and/or "unsaved - acquaintances and loved ones," and, many times,"feel" DEVALUED, as a result of the forces that come against me (Ephesians ch. 6). 😿 Therefore, as I've already written, every once in a great while, I may "go back," in my mind, and, reminisce, or, draw upon (you might say), these honors, and, other celebratory times, and, in doing so, I find - comfort and help, and, am encouraged - in the present "season,"  through which I am "traveling," and, usually - doing this - brings a smile to my face! 😃 High school (plus a few years) is just one of many "seasons" (a four year plus period) of my life, but, God used it to make an astronomical impact on me, and my life - back then, and, in every "season" through which I've "journeyed," since then!! 📖 However, there are other "gifts" that were given to me by my Father, that are exponentially more helpful, than honorary memories about which is in this post, on which I "feast," continually! These include:  The Holy Spirit, The Bible, prayer, etc.! ✝️ God desires that everyone feel VALUED, because, HE created us! 🙌🏼🙏🏼 HE proved that - HE - loves and values - us - through 'Calvary's' glorious reality, and, it's message of 'Salvation," through Christ Jesus (HIS - sinless life, death, burial, and resurrection) - to us! 🕊📖🙏🏼 Dear 'blog' reader, I sincerely - hope and pray that - you KNOW how very astronomically much - God - loves and values - you! 🙏🏼💜  And, if you do not, I am writing this 'blog-post' to tell you that, HE DOES! ✝️ Look back - over your life's journey, and, I'm certain that you'll see - traces of HIS love, grace, mercy, etc., sprinkled along the that path, and, as a good "pick me up," for yourself, every now and again, reminisce, and, dwell upon, with gratefulness, etc., the blessings on which HE has bestowed upon you!  Then, if you so desire, LET, God use them - in HIS service - to glorify HIM!! 😘😍🙌🏼 PRAISE HIM!! God has a glorious plan (overall and individually), and, HE makes NO mistakes! 😌 TRUST HIM!! 💜 👋🏼...Until next time...