Just a Vessel

Anyone else here a fan of the TV show Nashville? I have to admit, it is one of my guilty pleasures. I love the chance to escape once a week into the lives of these broken characters and see what their next round of mistakes will be. This spring, the season ended with a song that has resonated with me since the first moment I heard the words. One of the characters has decided that the music industry is just too tough. She is giving up and heading home. Her friend and songwriting partner doesn’t want her to go. The chorus of the song he writes for her is

But what if you’re just a vessel and God gave you something special?
It ain’t yours to throw away.

I was immediately stuck by these words and thought of our businesses.

Being an entrepreneur is tough. If you are like me, you are constantly battling the voices of doubt and fear of failure that come from both inside and out. Being an entrepreneur requires an authenticity and vulnerability that can be really scary. Someone once compared it to standing naked on a street corner. But what if you are just a vessel and God gave you something special? How does it change things to see your business in that light? If you see yourself as the instrument to share a message that God has given you, how can you throw it away? Suddenly, you are not revealing your own nakedness; you are sharing God’s message. He’s got your back.

This hits home in a special way this month as I get ready to throw my Rock Bottom story out to the world in our book, Rock Bottom is a Beautiful Place. More than just our businesses, God gave us our experiences—the good, the bad and the rock bottom. There is a lesson for each of us in our own rock bottom and in what we learn from others. Each experience is part of a grand plan to grow each of us into who we are today. Our stories happen for a reason. Our sense that it is time to share these stories happened for a reason as well. God gave you something special, it ain’t yours to throw away. For me, this means it is time to obey that call. It is time to set aside my fear and my pride and let the world see what God has given me. It is His message, not mine. What has He given you? Are you doing all that He is asking you to do with it?

But what if you’re just a vessel and God gave you something special?
It ain’t yours to throw away.

Heidi Kleine is an inspirational speaker, author, coach, and Christian Faith Formation professional. Her motto for life is Strong Body, Strong Mind, Strong Faith. Mother to four beautiful daughters, Heidi spent years living in a state of overwhelm, overweight, and over commitment, all while being undernourished physically and spiritually. By embracing the Strong Body, Strong Mind, Strong Faith motto, she was able to transform her life, losing over 100 pounds (and keeping it off) and starting a coaching practice to share her insights with other women who find themselves stuck. Learn more about Heidi at www.heidikleinecoaching.com