God Put Me Through Beauty School

Isaiah 62: The Lord made a proclamation to the ends of the earth: “Say to the Daughter of Zion, ‘See, you Savior comes! See, his reward is with him, and his recompense accompanies him. They will be called the Holy People, the Redeemed of the Lord; and YOU will be called SOUGHT AFTER, the CITY NO LONGER DESERTED.

I finally have a minute to share the GIFT God gave me this year for my birthday! He gave me a Name! Sounds simple, but it was attached to FREEDOM, Joy and an Incredible Adventure!

“You have a specific place in the [Great Battle] line, a mission God made for you. (Your life has a purpose). That is why it is so essential to hear from God about your true name, because that name is the mission of your life.” Wild at Heart by John Eldredge

So, I was sitting at Cafe Du Monde in New Orleans having a Beignet on the last day of a seven day video shoot for Louisiana Travel. Yeah, I know, it’s already a good gift. The work was behind us and I wanted to have some God-time before heading back to Florida. The timing of this trip seemed significant and I had a feeling God was going to show me something. I had no idea it would be so huge even though I went in with pretty high expectations. I started the trip ready to learn something that would prepare me for the next phase in my life. I was ready to let go of the old and embrace the new. So I was surprised to get to Louisiana and realize I had brought some of my troubles with me. Ug, I felt the weight of some unsettled issues, offenses and fears. But sitting at this famous café, in a powdered sugar haze, God lifted the heaviness and all the anxious thoughts.(God knows exactly how to get my attention haha). When I opened my heart to God and started writing in my journal I felt His nearness. His Joy. Something was definitely up. I knew the anticipation for something Great was going to happen in this moment. This was it….God had something for me.

I started thinking about the people we interviewed in Louisiana and the friends I got to see. Louisiana is known for good food, good music and a welcoming spirit. It’s true. In Florida, we see tourism as a business. In Louisiana, tourism gives locals the chance to show off their amazing culture to new people. I felt embraced. Then I started putting it all together. It wasn’t by chance God brought me to this welcoming state.

Let me back up a bit. God gave me the Isaiah 62 scripture before I moved to Sarasota. I had been abandoned by everything I loved but God said, “Say to the Daughter of Zion, ’see you Savior comes! See his reward is with him….You will be called SOUGHT AFTER, a CITY NO LONGER DESERTED’”. So I came to Sarasota and I realized, sitting in the café, that God had spent every bit of my time there preparing me to actually be able to RECEIVE this name! AHHHHHHHHH!!! …..And can you believe this was just days before my birthday. It gets better.

Before I could receive it…God had to deal with the thieves that have been stealing my God-given name and torturing me with deception for so many years. Their names? Abandonment and Rejection.

God set me free me from this giant cycle of dysfunction involving these enemies and then placed me with people that would help me walk it out in Sarasota. My boyfriend has a HUGE part in this area of freedom. The final test came recently when we decided to take time apart to seek God about our future. It was handled with such love and respect that I was surprised when I woke up the next morning FREAKING OUT!!! I felt the familiar tormentors Abandonment and Rejection say … “ha ha …you only thought you were free!” I was begging God for help and I felt like He was not answering these desperate prayers. You have to understand, this kind of torment is more than I can handle. My response, “what do you want enemy? The names of my family? Here you go.” But even my mom felt like my earnest prayers of desperation were somehow not right. I thought, “God if you expect anything more from me in this moment, then I’m gonna get in the boat with Jonah.” All the while, I felt God was saying there’s reason to rejoice. But this seemed cruel and why does it seem like I’m praying the wrong prayer? I had the defeated attitude that I would probably learn something…yay, joy, awesome…not really feeling it. But I woke up the next morning and….CUE THE REJOICING MUSIC….I was just fine. Sounds anticlimactic. Nope, I’ve broken up with boyfriends before and it’s a painful TWO YEAR process…NOT waking up the next day simply feeling FINE. But I realized I wasn’t really abandoned because God didn’t abandon me! AND FOR THE FIRST TIME IN MY LIFE I UNDERSTOOD THAT!!! I wasn’t staring down the barrel of heartache….I was FREE. God didn’t abandon me and he didn’t abandon my dream, my true heart’s desire. That’s why God would accept nothing less than REJOICING because there was REASON TO REJOICE.

God had to bring me back to a place that looked like abandonment and rejection so he could show me I HAD SIMPLY OUTGROWN IT. I’m looking to God to fulfill my dreams not a person. It wasn’t just a matter of casting out a devil and hoping it was gone. God had been leading me down a path of freedom for Years so in this moment I would be able to face my old enemies and say, “nah….it’s not working. I’ve OUTGROWN it.”

So, as I sat there, in the midst of sugary goodness and an amazing adventure, God says, “NOW, you are ready to Receive it. Your name is SOUGHT AFTER, a City No Longer Deserted. You will Never be Alone because your NAME is Sought After…all the days of your life. If you find yourself in a city that seems to have deserted you…I’ll change the city. You’re no longer attached to your tormentors. See? look, you’re in Louisiana. I brought you to a place to be embraced to make my point. You no longer have to fear. Your path is SOUGHT AFTER…all the days of your life. This is my gift to you. Happy Birthday.”

Teeeeeeeeeeeeears……………………………………………………………….

I got on the plane and opened Wild at Heart and started reading where I left off, “ The history of a man’s (our) relationship with God is the story of how God calls him out, takes him on journey and gives him his true name.” …..But the new name is really not new at all when you understand it is your true name, the one that belongs to you. [God called Abram off to a new frontier and gave him a new name, he took Jacob off the Mesopotamia and gave him a new name]”

God took me off to Louisiana….and gave me a new name.

I believe it’s a gift I can give! If you’re in my life and reading this….then you can know for sure ….YOU are not alone. God hasn’t abandoned you. He hasn’t turned his back on your heart’s desire. YOU are Sought After. You’re Not Alone. This is the deeply personal message He gave me to GIVE YOU!

So grab a powdered doughnut and celebrate! This is good news! Freedom is the Beauty of an Adventure with God!

Next, I want to write about seeking wisdom as if it’s a hidden treasure and addressing a question someone asked me years ago: “What makes, you, Missy Midden so special that God would do all this for you.” Haha…it’s a fair question even though the intent was to point out I’m probably not that special.
Love you!
Missy