I was that girl that just loved the action cartoons from my childhood.  Some of my favorites were Defenders of the Earth, Thunder Cats, and of course The Transformers.  Every time Optimus Prime’s voice came through the television something on the inside of me would leap.  He was the father figure for what was good and right on that show and he was always the voice of wisdom and the glue to their unity and teamwork (and he could kit butt too).  When I saw the modern day Transformers movie with Shia Labeouf as the leading character I was so excited to “hear” Optimus Prime’s voice after all these years that I leaped out of my seat with one hand in the air like i was ready for battle.  After I realized that only me and my youngest sister were standing up, I sat back down and dove into the movie.  But since that time I have been wondering about my own voice.

1. Am I living the kind of life, being the kind of example, speaking the kind of words that will stand the test of time?
2. Do I have a voice that draws a passionate and favorable response out of people?
3. Does what I do reach hearts and is it real and powerful enough to reach across time and still be relevant?  And if not,
4. What am I going to do about it?

Well, after all those questions, it occurred to me that with all that I am and all that I do, I could still do more, be more, and give more.  But it’s not just about me.

There are people who need what God has placed on the inside of us.  They will need us to show up in their lives for different reasons in different seasons.  In the meantime (because God will set up the appointment and not us) we can prepare so that we constantly bring the best of ourselves to the table. For example, we can stop destroying and ripping things apart by becoming better workers.  Besides the Word says, “he who is loose and slack in his work is brother to him who is a destroyer (PRO 18:9).”  And we choose to be builders and developers on purpose, shaping the world around us into something beautiful and powerful, finding problems that need to be solved by us and putting our heart and our best into it.  In fact, that’s how we become timeless, by showing up for other people in small, sincere and consistent ways.

Learn to be a Transformer, changing from the weaker you to the stronger you, moving away from the self-centered you to the giving and considerate you, adjusting from the “me first” you to the “what can I do to help?” you.  By giving, we become more than we ever were in the first place.  By giving more, we become more than we ever imagined we could be.  We are beautiful and there is more to us than meets the eye.

MizJAI…transforming into the rest of me