“Maybe You’re the Blessing” – When Strength Feels Heavy

Have you ever felt like you’re constantly showing up for everyone else—but no one shows up for you? You’re the strong one. The one who carries the weight. The one who prays, encourages, checks in, holds it together, and gives your all... but behind closed doors, you’re tired. You wonder, “When will it be my turn?”

In this vulnerable and spirit-led episode of Unrelated Sisters: Truth & Grace Conversation, Shannon and special guest Haley Lewis speak directly to the women who are always pouring, always holding, always pressing forward—even when it feels like no one notices.

This is your reminder: You are not invisible. You are not forgotten. Maybe you’re not being overlooked… maybe you were built to make an impact.

We dive deep into what it means to be the blessing in someone else’s storm, why your strength matters more than you think, and how God honors those who serve in silence. Through honest conversation, Scripture, prayer, and declarations, this episode is a spiritual exhale for every woman carrying more than she admits.

Speak out in Affirmation:

“Repeat after us, sis…”

• “I am the blessing.”
• “God is using me to make an impact.”
• “My strength is seen, and my sacrifice is sacred.”
• “I will not grow weary in doing good.”
• “God sees me, fills me, and rewards me.”

A prayer if your having a hard time with what to say:

“Father, thank You for the strong one listening today. The one who gives without applause, who carries others even when she’s tired. Remind her that You see her. You reward her. You refill her. Let her rest in Your strength, not her own. In Jesus’ name, amen.”

Discernment Your Best Yes, ask these question to help know it's Gods Yes:

Question 1: Is this something that God is truly asking of me?  Lord, is this for me? If it's not for me, then let me know so that I don't take somebody else's blessing. 

Question 2: Does this align with my calling, not just with my capabilities? We all have certain things that we're good at, but we also all have a calling. Is this part of my purpose, or am I just saying yes because it's something that I enjoy or that I'm good at. 

Question 3: Am I saying yes out of fear or guilt or out of pride? Is it because of Fear of what others might think, or is it out of guilt, or is it I know I can do that, so let me just say yes. Out of Pride.

Finally question 4 ... What will this yes cost in time, energy, relationships, and rest? Will this yes honor my current season and boundaries? Especially when you're in ministry, you have to have good, healthy boundaries of what you can and can't do.

Key Verse: Galatians 6:9

“Let us not grow weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”

Matthew 11:28 – “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”

 Listen now for truth, grace, and a Word just for the givers.

#ChristianPodcast #FaithAndMentalHealth #StrongWomenOfGod #UnrelatedSistersPodcast #GodSeesYou #YouAreTheBlessing

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Transcript

Speaker 00: 0:17

Hey family and welcome back to Unrelated Sisters Truth and Grace Conversation. I'm Shannon and I'm Haley and today's episode is for the strong one, the one who holds it together for everyone else. It's called Maybe You're the Blessing and sis, we believe that this is going to be your reminder that you are seen even when you feel invisible. There's this quote I love. Sometimes nothing good happens to you because you are the good that happens to others. That hits kind of deep for me and Haley today. So, Haley, pray us in. Dear Lord Jesus, we just thank you for this podcast, Lord. We thank you for the opportunity to just pour out, Lord, your word. I just pray, Lord, that whoever... Amen. The weight of being strong or being the strong one, growing up, I was the oldest and I should have been the strong one, right? But I wasn't. I wouldn't. It was my baby sister. Like my baby sister, she's always been the one that's, she had a good head on her shoulders and she always knew, she always knew what she wanted out of life. And I'm not that way. Right. And we've discussed this. I fly by the seat of my pants kind of person. And, uh, and a lot of the things that I do and, um, It has to be exhausting to be the strong one. You remind me a lot of my sister when it comes to being the strong one. Now that I've gotten, now that I've found my faith in God, being the strong one, has become more and more and more, right? Because I talk with Jesus and I feel like that I'm able to, you know, to talk and minister to people. But sometimes it's hard to be that strong for everybody when, you know, cause nobody, it's like, who's feeding into you and stuff. So, and I heard a quote the other day and it said, we talk about, is your cup full or is your cup running over? But, But why would you want to have just a cup? If you hook up the water hose and turn it on, it flows constantly. Right? So it makes you kind of wonder about those kind of things. And in Matthew 11, 28, it says, Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Well, that's good. I think sometimes that Lisa Turker, she has a book called The Best Yes. And I think sometimes that we feel like we have to say yes out of obligation, but really that's not. It has to be out of obedience that we say yes for it to truly take root in our life. The Best Yes is about learning to say yes to God's priorities and for your life, not just for every good opportunity that comes your way. So definitely that could lead to burnout if we're just saying yes to everything that comes our way. But I love that verse in Matthew that you just quoted, come to me, because ultimately when we are burnout or we're tired or weary, We can always find rest in him. Right. You know, and saying yes out of guilt, saying yes out of obligation or out of, you know, commitment. Like you feel like you can't, you know, give in. That's hard. Like just to sit here and think about it, it's kind of like, oh, you know, because how many of us do it? And how often do we do it? And doing it out of obedience, that's when he's tugging at you, right? That's when he's tapping you on the shoulder saying, hello. And how many of us say yes to him right away? Right. But if my best friend calls, oh, yeah, even though I'm tired and I want to lay down or I want to sit in my chair or, okay. Or if my mom calls or my sister calls or my kid, you know, my kid's 21. And, you know, even when he calls, I jump up and go, right? But when God calls, what do I do? I want to talk about it. Yes, me too. Every time I get, I catch myself constantly wrestling with the Lord. Like, are you sure? Like, should I do that? And nine times out of 10, he's like, yes, you should go now or do this now. There's a quote somewhere that says that your yes should come from a healthy soul. A weary, burned-out heart says yes out of fear or fatigue, but a heart rooted in Christ can say yes with clarity and conviction. So like you said, you can't pour from an empty cup even in ministry. You have to be full all the time. You have to make sure that you're filling your cup so that you can pour into other people too. So that's important. Right. It's okay to admit it's hard. It is. Right? It's okay.

Unknown: 5:37

Yeah.

Speaker 00: 5:38

Especially now that you're ministering with your church and that you've dumbed into that on top of your nonprofit. Is there a time when you say no? There is, yes. I feel like that I have very good discernment. And so I do definitely pray about that. Ninety percent of the things that I say yes to or that I, you know, if I feel like the Lord is saying, no, that's not for you. Obviously, I don't want to ever rob anybody from their blessing. So there are certain situations and times where if I pray about it and I feel like the Lord is like, no, that's not for you. I will say, I'm sorry, but I can't do this. Or, you know, I don't feel like I'm called to do that or, you know, whatever. So, yeah, I do say no. What about you? Do you say no? I'm learning. Yeah, I'm learning. Right. Because, you know, my faith, my faith came out of has come out of addiction, you know. And so when you're in addiction, you're trying to please whoever is supplying that addiction. Right. So so saying yes was a habit that I had. So it's it's hard to. It's hard for me to tell the difference sometimes, right? And I think that's why when God is just whispering in my ear, I'm like, is it really God or is it? I'm still trying to learn or trying to figure out how to tell the difference between the God whispering in my ear and the devil whispering in the other. So I do have some questions that you can ask yourself to help discern your best yes. Okay. Question 1: Is this something that God is truly asking of me? So that's something that I try to ask. Lord, is this for me? If it's not for me, then let me know so that I don't take somebody else's blessing. Number two is, does this align with my calling, not just with my capabilities? We all have certain things that we're good at, but we also all have a calling. Is this part of my purpose, or am I just saying yes because it's something that I enjoy or that I'm good at, but it will ultimately... lead to burnout if I'm too busy. Number three would be, am I saying yes out of fear or guilt or out of pride? Because that's a good one and that's one that I often have found myself saying yes out of, well, I know I can do that, so let me just say yes. Don't we all? Yeah, that's a good one. Pride. She's throwing out the gauntlet, y'all. And then finally... What will this yes cost in time, energy, relationships, and rest? Will this yes honor my current season and boundaries? Especially when you're in ministry, you have to have good, healthy boundaries of what you can and can't do. Right. Because, I mean, ultimately, like, it is so easy to get burned out and just serve from a place of I've got to do that and not I get to do that. That's one thing that we teach about a lot at my church is going from the got to to the get to. So you don't got to get up and serve on Sunday morning. You get to get up and serve on Sunday morning. It's truly a privilege to be able to serve. But, you know, if you're not serving out of your purpose, then... There's really no power in that. You're just doing it because you're capable. Right, right. And that's really good. Am I serving? Be excited to get up and go, right? And I watched a movie a few weeks ago. Disciples in the Dark or something. I haven't seen that one. It's good. It's so good. And at the end of the day, the government has taken away the Bibles and they've burned all of

Speaker 01: 9:53

them.

Speaker 00: 9:53

And they've brought in a new version, their version of the Bible. And so they're trying to They've collected a bunch of the old Bibles up and they're trying to take them to churches, underground churches in America now. And and at the end of the day, like. That could be us, like one of these days that could be us, and, you know, I don't get political and we're not talking politics on this on this call, but on this podcast, but. You know. Over in Asia and China and stuff like that, they don't have that privilege. Right. And we should wake up and be grateful. One, that we woke up and two, that we have the opportunity to do, you know, Reagan said that you don't. you don't realize what you've gotten until you've lost it. Those privileges that we have in life here in America, we don't realize until they're taken away. And we have to be able to you know, be grateful and just that, that I'm gonna take that with me. I get to do this. I get to do, maybe I can do that at work too. I mean, it works. It definitely works in all aspects of life. I have pulled that out. Um, a lot of times, like I get, I get to do this. Like it's not a burden. This is something that I get to do. I like it. I like it, you know? And then sometimes, um, You're so strong and you're so capable and you're so this and you're so that. But maybe the reason people come to you or maybe the reason that people lean on you is because you are their blessing, right? Oh,

Speaker 01: 11:44

that's good.

Speaker 00: 11:44

Right? Yeah. My family, my mom inside the family, they know that I was in addiction, but they don't know the story of my addiction until I started this podcast, and I talk a lot about it and stuff like that. And my Aunt Mary, who I speak a lot about because when you walk in her presence, she you feel the presence of God. And she's one of those that you know she has spent a lot of nights on her knees. And she's one of those that when she prays for you, you know she's praying for you. And she's been listening to my podcast, and she calls me up the other day, and she says, I didn't understand. She goes, I didn't understand all those years that you didn't come around or all those years that you didn't do this. And she said, you know, when your grandma passed away, my grandma passed away last year and her grandson was having a really hard time with it. And he was he was praying to God and he was he was he was feeling lost. And and and. she's like, somebody needs to pray with him. And I was like, okay, like I got this, you know? And I go up there and she's there and she's like, just to listen to you after knowing where you come from. She says, where did that come from? I said, I don't even know what I said. Like, I don't even know what I said. Yeah. Yeah. Like when he got the whole, like sometimes I think I'm sitting outside the body looking at it, but I was the blessing, you know, at that time, even though in my grief of my grandmother passing and stuff like that, that's what they needed at the time. But the unseen emotional and spiritual labors that strong women give, like sometimes when you are the strong person in your family, in your church, like, you know, I love my best friend. She's been my best friend for 25 years, but sometimes her chaos makes my life be like, and she knows it. She knows it, but she can call me anytime. Yeah. Right. I'm going to listen. And then I'm going to tell her what God told me to tell her. Right. Right. And, and, and she'll call me up and she'll be like, and she goes, that's why I call you. Because you're the peace. I'm the peace. I'm the peace that gives her that. But sometimes I feel overlooked. I feel overlooked in my marriage sometimes. I feel overlooked with my kid, and my kid's older than yours, so welcome to what's going to happen. Oh, gosh. But I don't think I'm overlooked. I don't think that God, you know, I know God sees me. He has to because he's been sitting there a long time. So he definitely ain't going nowhere. That's right. You know, and stuff like that. But I don't know. Maybe. I think it's in those moments when we do feel so overlooked that God will give. He'll send somebody or a circumstance to just kind of. bring you back to life and let you know this is your purpose and you're not overlooked or downcast. Right. This is what you were made for. And I think that that's when he really works through us the most. I know in my life, when I've been down at the lowest, ready to just kind of give up and throw in the towel in certain situations, that's when... God steps in and does the most that only he can do. And then when you look back, you're like, okay, like that was only God. Yeah, I've seen it. I've seen it for sure. You know, in Galatians 6, 9, it says, let us not grow weary in doing good. Let us not grow weary in doing good. You know, and you can read that however you want to. But at the end of the day, it makes me, I'm at the happiest. When I'm doing for others. Yeah. Right? I personally am at the happiest when I am doing for others. My husband gets on to me all the time because I'll see somebody walking down the road and it's 100 degrees. And I'm like, you're hot. I'm going here. You know? And he's like, well, these days they're going to kill you. And I'm like. You know, they say that the most happiest people in the entire world are the ones who are walking in their calling and doing what they're called to do. And I believe it. I do, too. Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. I don't feel like I would be here right now if it wasn't for God's grace. Like the grace that he has showed me and that he has given me and the grace, you know, it's not like I woke up one day and decided I wasn't going to do drugs anymore and then found God. Right. That was 10 years. It was, it was eight years later, right. Before God ever came into the picture. So there was eight years of sobriety there where I wasn't doing drugs, but God still wasn't there. I mean, he was there, but he wasn't, he was not forefront for me, you know, and, um, But when you come out of that cloud and you find true joy, it's not happiness. You know, me and my son was talking about this the other day, and he's like, I'm happy. I was like, yeah, but you've lost your joy. Yeah. Right? And if you look it up, there's a difference. Oh, yeah. There absolutely is. You know, you can be happy, but when you're living in your joy... There's nothing greater. No, that's absolutely right. There is a divine difference in happiness and the joy that only the Lord can give, especially in circumstances that should not hold happiness or joy. Right, right. Yeah, I agree. It's just, I don't know. I wake up and I see the world differently. You know, I see things differently nowadays than I've ever seen them. And I can't explain it. Like, I just want you all to feel it. Yeah. Well, I definitely, we talked about this a little before, but Galatians 6, 9, the verse that you just read, that has been really heavy on my heart lately as I'm walking in a different season with a new life. a new business and stepping into ministry and just different aspects of my life but in my quiet time several weeks ago I broke down this verse and at the end of the verse you know it says if we do not give up and So I really want to speak over you ladies who are on the verge of giving up and let you know that the harvest depends on not quitting and the blessing comes after the battle. Because I feel like sometimes we think we're at the lowest of the lows. How are we going to come back from this? But like you said, that's where His grace comes in. And I mean, it's just a divine gift. a divine appointment that only He can orchestrate that will rescue you when you feel like, okay, this is it. I can't come back from this. Don't stop sowing into your calling or your ministry or your family, whether you're burnt out or tired or just feel like you're getting nowhere. I know I've prayed for certain family members of mine for a long time, and I'll say, well, Lord, I don't know why you still want me to pray for them. They're You know, they're lost. And he's like, but they're mine. And like, and they're not too far gone. And so never feel like, you know, you're too far gone to where you can't come back because he will always leave the 99 to find the one. And he does promise that if you don't give up, he'll bring the harvest. But it's in his time. It is so in his time. So, you know, I talk a lot about my dad. and about his, his road to recovery. And there was, there was a time I hadn't seen or heard from him in a hot minute. And in, in 2021, when COVID was at its highest, I get a phone call from the hospital and, and I hadn't seen or heard from him in, I don't know, two or three years. I honestly thought, and I'd been praying and I'd had my church praying. I had my pastor praying, like we'd been praying and, and, I was to the point I was just waiting on the phone call, that he was found in the ditch, OD'd. He was found in the house somewhere, OD'd. I'd just been waiting on that call. And the nurse, and I had a lot of hard feelings towards him, and I was very bitter towards him. And I just knew. But I get a call from the hospital, and he's up there, and he's pretty bad off. And they're like, do you want to talk to him? I'm like, no. I don't. I don't want to talk to him. Like, I can't. Right? Because I was still trying to find my way. And there's two things in this world that the devil knows he can pull me back in from. My daddy and my kid. Right? Like, he knows that if that can get me back into where I was at. And I don't want to be there. But I told the nurse, you know, I was like, this is my phone number. If something happens, if it gets worse, then I want you to call me. And she's like, okay. And she had to go ask him permission to tell me his information and stuff. But she did. But we continued to pray. Well, then I didn't see or hear from him for a while. And then one day I was working at my job, and he come walking up, and he said, you've been praying for me, haven't you? And I said, yeah. And he goes, I need you to stop. And I said, why? Why? And he said, well, my truck broke down, and my kitchen caught on fire, and my dog died. I mean, it was just a list. It was like a country song, right? And I just kind of laughed at him, and I said, well, you know what you need to do. And he just snarled and walked away because he was still getting high. And then I still didn't see him for a while. And then I was getting married, and... I had my son walk me down the aisle. I mean, I hadn't seen or talked to my daddy in years, really. But I sent him at the gas station the day before I was getting married. And I told him, and he came to the wedding, but he still didn't walk me down the aisle. And then we went on for a few years, and then he shows up at my job. And he's like, I'm clean. And I'm like, yeah, okay. Do you know how many times you've come to me and told me that? Yeah. And so it has been a struggle. Well, he didn't come back around for a while, but he had been in drug court. He's been clean for five years now. So you can't stop praying. And I'm talking about my daddy's been getting high since I was 10 years old. It started out with just marijuana, and then it progressed to meth and everything else. So God... One, he works in his own time, but sometimes it's a little harder than others. Like my daddy's stubborn. My daddy was a preacher when I was a kid. He was a preacher until he sinned and fell from grace and died. I know. Right. I mean... He's good. He's good. And you just have to be willing to open up and be like, hey, look, this is this. But sometimes it's weird, I guess, because I had a hard time going back to church. I had church hurt, and I had a hard time going back. And it takes some deep root. Church hurt, it goes deep. Oh, it does. It does, for sure. And I offended my daddy sometimes. about six months ago, we were talking. He goes, your sister told me you thought we went to church was a cult. I was like, it was a cult. It was a cult. And he's like, Shannon. I was like, I know I gotta go home and pray. I find myself in those situations a lot. Okay, Lord, I feel that I need to pray about that. I'm sorry. It comes out. It comes to the brain. It comes out the mouth sometimes, you know, have you ever seen that meeting where it's like the Holy Spirit has like his hand over your mouth or whatever I live in that state I do too like the Holy Spirit is not going to allow me to say that I live in that I do too I do too I have definitely had to since I got promoted I've had to learn to think before I speak great at it, but I'm getting better, but it's helped me in my personal life. Am I, am I faithful off to learning to think before I speak? Um, cause usually if it comes to the brain, it comes out the mouth and that gets me in trouble. So, you know, uh, impact over applause, uh, internal reward versus earthly recognition.

Speaker 01: 25:56

That's

Speaker 00: 25:57

so good. Oh my gosh. So here's the thing. And, um, We did an event with you that first year. We did Joyman's event with you. And you were like, I know you don't like this, but we're going to thank you anyway. And you're right. I don't. Right. Like I do the things I do, the volunteer and the good, you know, the things out of the goodness of my heart. I really don't want the recognition. Right. But I've been thinking about that lately, right? Is it that I don't want the recognition of the things that I do? Or is it because I haven't dealt with the guilt of all the bad things I've done? So I feel like I do all the good things to make up for the bad things? I don't know. That's deep. That's deep. And so... You know, you talk about being in a season of, you know, of all this going on.

Speaker 01: 26:59

Busyness.

Speaker 00: 27:01

All this busyness. And I feel like I have just been sitting in my chair. Yeah. Like, I feel like I have just been sitting in my chair. Like, it's all I do is sit in my chair. All the time. And I know that. You know what I mean? But that's how I feel. That's how I've been feeling lately. I feel like, okay, I've done what you want. Now what do you want? What's next? You're in that waiting season.

Unknown: 27:28

I know.

Speaker 00: 27:28

I was in that for a long time, and it's not fun. It is not. It is not. Especially when you're like, okay, Lord, this is my time, right? And he's going to sit down. I know. And when he told me to sit down, I was like, oh. But really, I know. Well, because he does all these great things, right? Like we've done, I've done all these, all these great things have happened over the last few years. And don't get me wrong, this podcast is amazing. And it was definitely, you know, from him. And, and, and, but then it, I mean, I didn't expect it to, you know, go viral. I'm not, that's not, that was never the intention for it was to go viral. And that was never the intention. The intention of this was for healing, whether it's healing for me or healing for the people that are listening or, you know, the five friends that I got that listened to it every week. You know, I think that those seasons, I like to call it a season of preparation because that's what it should be. It is. Yeah. I mean, you're, you're sitting in that season and you're like, I don't, you're, it's kind of like you're at a fork in the road and you're like, okay, Lord, like what direction am I going to go? You know, um, that season is often a quiet but holy time. And so God is really working in behind the scenes. you know, in that preparation season. He's working in you before he works through you. Oh, yeah. Yeah. Oh, wow. That was pretty deep there. Yeah. I've had to sit in that season before, especially, you know, right after we lost Hudson, I felt like all of my friends left, and I didn't really– know what I was going to do next. And it was a really quiet season for me. And I am the type of person who likes to be around a lot of people, and I like to do all things. So sitting in that quiet season was almost like a punishment. Yeah, it was. It was almost like a punishment. That's how I feel right now. And I kind of felt hidden or like I was stuck. But then, I mean, you know, because you were there, part of that women's conference that I did, that was when I was actually being rooted and planted. And so, you know, you think about a tree roots and, like, what's going on under the ground, like, people can't see. But then when the tree or the flower or whatever starts to... come up out of the ground, that's when you're seen. And so in those seasons of preparation, that's when God really does all of His refining and grows our fates the most. And I feel like without those seasons, how would we really get to the next level if we didn't let Him do that work in those quiet seasons? Right. This is so funny. So I've been working on a new episode. And in this new episode, I've been studying the 400 years of silence in the Bible, where the Israelites are wandering around in the desert. And I've been digging into that, but not just that. Because I don't want to dig just into the Bible. I want to dig into what was going on during the time of the Bible, like the history. I love the history behind it. This is probably going to be the next episode, too, by the way. But during those 400 years that they were wandering around, what else was going on in history? You know what I mean? So the Romans came. They made a central language, the Greek language. They built roads. They built cities. They built infrastructure. So when Jesus came and found his 12 disciples, they didn't have to go through the desert. They just followed the roads to the next cities. So during that 400 years, what was going on in the background? That's what I've been learning from my season of silence is that what's going on around me right what's going on in the background what's being built in the way um there's a verse that comes out of james it's james one and four let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete not lacking anything so i think about these silent seasons and how if we don't if we don't have these seasons of preparation um We're not being overlooked in these seasons, but we're being overprepared. And so, you know, if you're not being really built, then how are you going to be ready for what he has in store for you next, you know? Right. And so I do think that it takes those seasons where you have to kind of sit in silence for a minute and let him kind of do the work that he needs to do and then... whatever is for your next season is going to be so good that you can't even imagine it. Right. But you've been prepared for it, and you're going to be equipped to tackle it. So your season of waiting led you into a season of busyness? It did. It sure did. Yes, it most certainly did. But, you know, it's like, had the Lord given me all that He has given me recently, During or before that season when I was so desperately wanting it, I wouldn't have been ready for it. And so when the door opens, you'll be ready. Right. You will. Yeah. You'll be ready. And you won't be willing. You won't just be willing. You'll be ready. Right. That's where your jumping the fire feet first faith comes from, ain't it? That Galatians 6.9. That's too good. So faithfulness is often quiet and impact is often invisible, but God sees it all. He does. And I feel like that he sees all and he rewards all. So even if you are quiet and you're, you know, I, it's really, it's really hard for me because for all that we do for HUD's heart, um, and like our other ministries and our business too, um, I have a really hard time posting on social media. Look what we did. Because I don't want the recognition of men or of women who... Right. Right. Right. I mean, I do post, but not often. Not as often as I probably should. I get it. I get it. It's been hard, right? I'm not a social media queen for sure. I've had a Facebook page for, I don't know, me and my husband's had one together since we got married. And if you go and look on it, there's not... there's like two posts a year about us. The rest of it's just the stuff that we, you know, that we follow or whatever. We're not really good at it. And then like I started a tick tock page for this podcast because I had some people say, well, you know, that's how I find my podcast. You'll get more people that way. And I thought, well, okay. But then I've only posted like five things on it. And, and so it's one of those that I understand a hundred percent. Like it's, I don't, I don't need for somebody to recognize me for what I do. Right. I don't, I just need him to recognize me. Right. I just need. And sometimes it's like you said earlier, it's one of those things where he sends somebody. Right. Yeah. You know, like, and he will, uh, just, just when you think like, all right, what am I going to do? Uh, I mean, it's kind of like, you know, when we met, you were just sitting in your office that day and the Lord's like, Here's this divine appointment that, you know, I didn't know that just by talking to you for a few minutes that we would have a friendship or, you know, the way that we do. And so I do think that, yeah, those divine appointments, they're important. That's kind of going back to that eternal recognition. I love that. I love that so much because how often... That's such a powerful and humbling thing to think, like the Lord would use me to do His work. Oh, I know. Yeah. I've talked about this in a few of the others, but I've been clean for 23 years, or 22 years, this July. July 19th, actually. Yeah. It's coming up. I'll be 23 years clean. And so, so I don't fit in with the drug addicts, right? The people that are just getting clean or just starting their journey, you know, because if you got to make it five years, once you've made it five years, you're done. Yeah. Right. But I don't fit in with those people. And then I don't fit in with people who's been raised in church and who grows, who's grown up in church and, and all of that, because I do have, you know, I'm not, I'm a project. Well, we all have scars. I'm Jesus's project. Aren't we all? My faith is strong, but there's still days I'm figuring it out. But sometimes it's like I don't know where I fit in. But to read that and to know that eternally I am rewarded. Yeah. Right. From him. For sure. Is just, I agree. Like, it's just amazing. Yeah, because ultimately, you know, you're working for, you're working for a reward that can't be seen now. But, you know. Right. It'll be recognized when you get to heaven. Right. And I think, you know, we're all working towards that. Good, you know, good job, my well and faithful servant. That I just can't imagine, you know, getting into heaven and just. not just, you know, him saying like, good job, but like, you know, you didn't strive for the approval of man, but you did what I asked you to do out of obedience. And so, and you stewarded well, you know, so like, that's all, that's all I could ask for. That's the greatest compliment, right? Like, you know, I don't handle compliments. Well, I don't handle, I don't handle recognition. Well, um, we were, uh, We were talking about this. My boss, he visited today, and he was talking about it. He goes, you know, I've been giving your brothers a hard time, and that's the other managers of other stores in our area. He goes, I told them. He goes, I don't know why they keep letting you beat them. I said, I told them when I started that I was silent. I was just going to sneak up on them one day, and once I got it, I got it, right? I love that. Yeah. I know this is kind of crazy, but I went to a funeral recently where the lady who had passed away, her son was actually doing her funeral. He was the minister at her funeral. Wow. That's hard. It was bold. But he kind of gave a little bit of a testimony, and he's like, you know, I was a hellion. And he's like, my mom, she kicked me out. And she said, go three times over. And she dropped me out with all my stuff. And she said, I don't want to see you again until, you know, you're doing better. And he said, but she prayed for me every day. You know, she would be sitting at the table and she would just be praying for me and praying for me. And, you know, now he leads like a mega church. Oh, yeah. And, like, he just does so much for the kingdom of God. And... you know, it's just one of those things where he was, he was really speaking over her and he was saying, you know, had she not prayed for me and had she not given me that tough love that I so desperately needed in that moment, like she will, she will know, you know, what reward she got in heaven for that. Right. But like she, she would never have seen the impact that she made on this earth, you know, because like his church is huge and like, people all the time are just so thankful for him and for the way that he leads and everything and it's really all because of her and because the way that she lived it out and so I just think about that you know you're not doing you're not just doing the work for God but you're doing work that will echo in eternity and so I think about that and I think about you know the way she lived her life because of her and because of her faith and because of her tough love you know like thousands of people have been impacted and so Sometimes when we do all these things, we may never see what we're sowing. We may never see the harvest that we've sown on this side of eternity. But of course, when we get to heaven, I feel like the Lord will say, this is what you did by doing X, Y, Z. And so I thought that was really special during that funeral. He's just... Talking so highly of her and how she impacted the kingdom through him. Well, you know, there's a song out called Flowers. Oh, yes. And she talks about asking God why. And he tells her to be pretty much to be patient that he's planting the seeds in the valley. Because right now, you know. You can't see them, but they will grow, right? And I think of that song sometimes, and I'm thinking, the first few times I heard it, I was like, what? I thought we wanted to be on the mountaintop, right? Like, you know, growing up at church, you wanted to be on the mountaintop, but we're not on the mountaintop. We're in the valleys 90% of the time. We won't be on the mountaintop, truly on the mountaintop until we go to heaven, right? And so... You have to plant the seeds. You have to find the seeds, you know, and find where we're headed. I don't know. This has been deep today. I know. Yeah, this is definitely one that it pulled straight from my heart.

Unknown: 43:04

Yeah.

Speaker 00: 43:05

Because I have lived in seasons of, you know, feeling like I can conquer all. And then seasons where I'm running empty and I need a refueling of that holy fire. Oh, yeah. Yeah. And I think that it's harder when you have to work out of those seasons, but you have to keep going. Oh, you do. You do. And, you know, like in Galatians 6, 9, you know... It's a promise if you do not give up. It's really a command. Don't give up. You're almost there. Yeah. Well, and that's how this podcast started. I was dry. I was dry. I was so just done. I was just done. I was tired. I was just done. And even though I was praying, I felt like I was praying. praying to nothing or nobody you know i pray every day i talk to him every day but i felt like i just couldn't i couldn't hear him or i just was done and we went to that women's conference and it's like boom there he was just jabbering in my ear and he wouldn't shut up you know and that's how this come to be but you know i want to uh i want uh to read the affirmations for this um We have several affirmations that will be in the description below so that y'all can say them to yourself. You know, I'm a sticky note kind of person. So if this season is where you're at and you need these affirmations, write them on a sticky note, stick them on your mirror, say them to yourself every day. Bring yourself, right? Bring yourself to Him and then read His promises, right? I am the blessing. God is using me to make an impact. My strength is seen and my sacrifice is sacred. I will not grow weary in doing good. God sees me, fills me, and rewards me. Those are so good. So deep. I think my favorite one is that my strength is seen and my sacrifice is sacred. I know, right? Yes, yeah. They're all good, but that one really stuck out to me. I like God is using me to make an impact. I'm writing that in my mirror. And He is. So but those are, you know, those will be for you to be able to read. There'll be a prayer if you're having trouble praying that you can read until you find your comfort to speak to him in the way that you want to. Those are that will all be in the descriptions. Some of the songs that we mentioned will be in the description today. You know, we want you to know that you're not alone. And more importantly, that God sees you. If this message spoke to you today, send it to another strong one, the woman holding it together for your family, for everyone else. You never know how much she needs this. They were talking on K-Love. That's the radio station I listen to when I'm here in Rockmar. And they were like, you know, sometimes you think about somebody that you hadn't seen or talked to in a minute. Right? Think of a lady. Send her a text. Tell her God loves you. It doesn't have to be anything. I have 300 contacts on my phone, and I talk to five of them. But sometimes people hit my heart, and when they do, they may need that. I think that is so important to be intentional in those times because you truly never know what somebody else is going through. And just that simple, hey, I'm thinking about you. Can I be praying for you? You know, God loves you. You never know what that impact will have on them or their situation. Yeah, I think that is so important. And I know that God uses those little nudges. That's what I like to call them. Oh, yeah. Those little nudges is like, hey, I need you to be my vessel. I need you to do this. Yeah. Um, especially, and it, and sometimes it's hard, especially if you hadn't talked to somebody in a while, you know, or you hadn't, it can be hard. It can be awkward. Yeah. Yeah. It's always inconvenient. Yeah. It always comes, you know, and I'm one of those, I'm like, I ain't got time today, God, you know? And then he's like, okay, then all day long, I can't stop. Right. Thinking about them. Or my favorite thing is when I'm like at a store or something and, you know, God will speak to me, you know, Say something to this person. And I'm like, really, Lord? They look like they're doing just fine over there. I don't know them. Right, yeah. I mean, I'm pretty good at talking to people, but at the same time, it's weird sometimes. It's weird. It's weird. It is. But you know, my pastor always says, You know, you have to do what the Holy Spirit tells you to do. You do. You have to take those nudges and you just have to run with them. And sometimes... You never know. You just never know what that is going to do for the kingdom. That's right. I've seen a YouTube video. A kid was doing his graduation speech. He was the valedictorian of the graduation speech or whatever. And in his graduation speech, he talked about his first year and how... Oh, my God. And then the next day, he did it again. And then the next day, he did it again. Well, that four years, they became best of friends. That guy was the quarterback. And that guy was Mr. Popular. And the guy that... come to be valedictorian, you know, he was valedictorian. So we all know, we all know how smart he was. Right. But he's telling the story and he goes, you know, he didn't know that that day was the day I was going to end it all. And he helped me. And then that next day, because I thought it was a fluke, I was just going to do it again. And he helps me again. And, you know, and this is how we came to be. And he goes, so you never know. You never know what your impact is going to be, you know, and that stuck with me for a long time. And I think, you know, it's hard when we're trying to. When we're feeling overlooked and feeling sucked dry, if I'm dry, how do I pour into others? I read a book or a podcast or something several years ago, and it's like the Lord will always give you what you need. Even if it's just a drop, He will always give you what you need. never feel inadequate or like you can't do something because that's when he'll use you the most. And I know for me, it's been some of the most uncomfortable situations that I feel like, okay, Lord, like I know that you use me for that in that moment. And it was weird and it was uncomfortable, but you know, that's just, that's just how he works. And, and I love that it's so personal. Um, And you think He cares enough for me that He would send somebody to do that for me. And so it's just good. It is. So prayer requests and testimonies, please email us at unrelatedsisterspodcasts at gmail.com or follow us on TikTok at unrelatedsisters.podcasts. You can tag us through You Are the Blessing or Unrelated Sisters Podcasts. Miss Haley, take us out in prayer. Okay. Dear Lord, I just thank you today, Lord. I thank you for this podcast and for the word that you gave to Shannon and I to share to these ladies, Lord. I just pray, Lord, that anyone who's listening who feels like they're in a dry season or a waiting season, I just pray, Lord, that you just encourage them, Lord. I pray, Lord, that you send your well, Lord, to just encourage them. Just lift them up in due season, Lord. I just pray that they will reap a harvest. I just thank you for using us. as your vessels today, Lord. And I just pray, Lord, that you just bless this podcast. I pray that you bless Shannon for everything that she's doing and for the way that she brings your word to light, Lord. And I just thank you in Jesus name. Amen. Amen. Ladies, always remember rooted in truth, covered in grace and carried in faith.