budding to blossom, express and expand
A 2024 goal I made for myself was to begin putting together more content onto social media. A personal passion project of mine was to start what I call a “colorFULL series,” in which I color my way through the Message edition of the Bible. As I work my way through His living and breathing Word, I want to document God’s works within me in hopes that someone, anyone who views can be moved to be drawn into His light. That’s the core purpose and motivation.
In fact, God put this calling on my heart several months ago and I really procrastinated on getting this together and putting it out there. Fear of judgment and imposter syndrome combined with the pressure to perform and get things perfect delayed the process.
I’ve found that when you receive a vision over your life (or in this case your next God assignment), it calls for a new creative expansion. And you can only begin to expand when you open yourself up to expression. What a vulnerable thing that is to do.
By the very nature of being myself, that very presence impacts all that is around me. A very strong conviction to hold an opinion or value could directly trigger and tap into a core area of pain in another. A statement I make from a place of love could be taken out of context and applied to an entirely different construct. Rather than being mired in the thoughts that keep me in self-doubt and victimhood, harnessing my creativity asks me to stand confidently in the identity of who God calls me to be. Through the nature of this outlet of creative expression, I’ve found just how much intentionality it requires to strike the balance between sharing for benefit and being disciplined in practicing gentle kindness in the midst of the opposite.
Joseph could have stopped pouring into the dreams God placed in His heart.
Moses could have stayed mired in self-doubt .
Joseph could have stayed small in his brothers’ chokeholds.
Moses could have remained a black sheep to his people.
In the wilderness, the rejection of those we crave acceptance from hurts the most.
The only way to make cheerleaders out of bench-warming cynics is to stay the course while exercising compassion.
Romans 12:9-21 (MSG) reads,
“Love from the center of who you are; don’t fake it. Run for dear life from evil; hold on for dear life to good. Be good friends who love deeply; practice playing second fiddle…Be alert servants of the Master, cheerfully expectant. Don’t quit in hard times; pray all the harder. Help needy Christians; be inventive in hospitality. Bless your enemies; no cursing under your breath. Laugh with your happy friends when they’re happy; share tears when they;re down. Get along with each other; don’t be stuck up. Make friends with nobodies; don't be the great somebody…Don’t let evil get the best of you; get the best of evil by doing good.”
This passage asks us to be steadfast in our care and love for one another. To be the type of brother or sister that weathers the highs and lows for each other from season to season.
Joseph goes on to reunite with his family + provide during a time of famine in spite of betrayal.
Moses went on to part the Red Sea and free his people from slavery.
We were each granted God-given gifts to allow our creativity to flow into a larger held vision for the benefit of something greater than ourselves. Because Jesus loved us so much that he placed a piece of Him into each of us and entrusted in us what we could entrust in others. If we hope and believe in what we can only imagine right now, eventually we will stand on the other side of what God has promised. And so the cycle repeats. If we hope and believe in the best version of ourselves, we can do the same for others.
In doing so, we can take leaps of faith for what is in our control and pray for the things that aren’t.
In the stillness of being present + intentional about the small things, we can find that it’s the very pain that once served as thorns on our sides that allow us to appreciate the beauty of the rose and the budding process it took to become it.
If you’re ready to create + express, you can schedule a 1:1 complimentary consultation here.
Kim Yamasaki is a Christian wellness coach who supports her clients in cultivating space + stillness in the mind, body, and Spirit through collaborative processes of co-creation. She provides services that create space _ stillness for deeper connection: spiritual wellness coaching for burnout, home organizing, and yoga. Her methods are affirming, grounding, and nurturing – all interlaced with playful creativity. She is a native Angeleno with Japanese and Chinese roots.
This article was originally published for the “selah space” newsletter, reclaiming abundance’s care package for go-getters that is released on a monthly basis. “Selah space” offers content to support readers looking to for greater balance by living, loving, and learning deeply to be their most calm, confident, and complete selves. In the Bible, selah means “to pause or to reflect.” It appears most heavily in the Book of Psalms and Habakkuk as musical notations at the end of verses to draw attention back to what was previously expressed.