I'm His Favorite

The Middle Child Mentality

As I start off this 36th year of life, I’ve been carrying around a phrase that may sound a little wild at first:

I’m God’s favorite.

And before you decide that sounds completely arrogant… stay with me for a second.

I don’t mean that in a prideful way.
I don’t mean it in a “more loved than everyone else” way.
And I definitely don’t mean it in a self-centered way.

I mean it from a place of truly embracing the love God has for me in a deeper way this season.

Growing up as a middle child, I think part of me learned how to quietly fly under the radar.

Not in some dramatic way.
But in the subtle ways many middle children do.

You learn how to wait your turn.
How to not ask for too much.
How to be independent.
How to make yourself low maintenance.

And sometimes, if we’re honest, you quietly wonder:
Do people notice?
Do they have time for me too?
Is there space for me here?

There are actually so many beautiful things that came from being a middle child. I became adaptable, independent, empathetic, and easygoing in many ways.

But now as a parent myself, I see something differently.

We don’t have a“favorite” child. We love each of our children deeply.

But we know them differently.

Each of them carries different gifts, personalities, perspectives, strengths, and needs. Each relationship is personal.
Intentional.
Unique.

And maybe that’s part of what God has been showing me lately.

Not that He loves me more than anyone else…but that His love for me is deeply personal.

The Depth of God’s Love

I’ve always believed Jesus loved me.

But lately, I think I’m understanding more of the depth of His love for me.

The kind of love that sees me fully.
Knows every part of my story.
Walks with me through grief, leadership, motherhood, uncertainty, calling, and growth…
and still says: “You are deeply loved.”

And honestly, I think that changes everything.

Because when you begin embracing the depth of God’s love, it changes the way you see yourself, your calling, your relationships, and even the way you move through everyday life.

You move with greater confidence and peace. You become more secure in who God created you to be.
You begin seeing yourself through the lens of love instead of pressure or comparison.

And maybe most importantly…

That love begins to overflow into the people around you.

The way you lead.
The way you parent.
The way you encourage others.
The way you show compassion.
The way you make people feel seen.

I hope and pray that in every interaction I have — whether it’s with my family, a stranger, a coworker, a patient, a friend, or someone having a hard day — people leave feeling a sense of God’s love through the way I interact with them.

Not because I do it perfectly.
But because I want the love God has poured into me to overflow outward into others.

And maybe that’s part of why this birthday feels especially meaningful to me.

One Year of There’s So Much More 

Not only am I stepping into a new year of life, but it’s also been one year since I launched There’s So Much More.

Honestly, when I started this blog, I thought it would simply be a place to encourage others.
A place to share what God was teaching me. A place to celebrate what the Lord was doing through my life, my story, my grief, my calling, and my experiences.

And while it has absolutely been that…

What I didn’t expect was how much this space would challenge and stretch me too.

How writing would force me to slow down, reflect, process, and listen more closely to God.

How creating space for “more” would lead me into more too.

More trust.
More surrender.
More perspective.
More healing.
More confidence in who God created me to be.

Nothing Can Separate Us

And maybe that’s why the words in Romans 8 have felt especially personal to me lately:

“For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come… nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God.”

Nothing.

Not grief.
Not insecurity.
Not disappointment.
Not fear.
Not uncertainty.

Nothing can separate us from the love of God.

The Mountains in Colorado

A few weeks ago, I was in Colorado for a conference. It was my first time there, and the mountains were breathtaking.

But on the drive to the airport, I found myself playing catch up— head down, checking emails, already focused on the next thing before the current thing had even ended.

And then I felt the Holy Spirit whisper:
“There is beauty all around you if you only look up.”

When I finally looked out the window, I couldn’t stop thinking about the intentionality of God.

The detail of the mountains.
The strength.
The way they stand so confidently without striving to prove anything.

Mountains do not wake up trying to become mountains.

They already are.

They don’t hustle to be taller.
They don’t compare themselves to the landscape around them.
They don’t apologize for taking up space.

They simply stand fully in the way they were created to.

And I felt God whisper:
“The same God who formed those mountains formed you with that same intentionality.”

Whew.

Because how often do we spend our lives striving to become enough when God already created us intentionally?

Every personality trait.
Every gift.
Every experience.
Every part of our story.
Even the painful parts He can redeem.

Nothing random.
Nothing wasted.
Nothing accidental.

Psalm 139 says we are fearfully and wonderfully made.

Not hurriedly made.
Not carelessly made.
Wonderfully.

And honestly, I think I’m in a season where I’m no longer fighting to prove I belong in certain rooms, positions, or places.

That doesn’t mean I won’t work hard.
I absolutely will.

But there’s a difference between working hard with purpose and striving endlessly to prove your worth.

I’m learning that confidence rooted in God looks different than confidence rooted in performance.

Change your Position

Later at the airport, I noticed a large metal X blocking part of the mountain view outside the window. From where I was sitting, all I could focus on was the obstruction.

And I felt the Holy Spirit whisper:
“If you don’t like the view, change your position.”

So I moved. And suddenly the entire view changed.

The mountains were clearer.
The light hit differently.
The beauty that was always there became visible from a different angle.

And honestly, I think that’s true in life too.

Sometimes the beauty is still there.
Sometimes God is still moving.
Sometimes the blessing is still present.

But we’re viewing everything from a position of exhaustion, fear, insecurity, distraction, disappointment, or striving.

And sometimes changing your perspective changes everything.

Because maybe that’s what this year is about for me.

Not becoming someone entirely new.
Not hustling harder.
Not proving more.

But leaning more fully into the perspective God has always had of me.

Chosen.
Loved.
Intentional.
Worthy.

And maybe the “more” God has for us is not always found in striving for another achievement, title, or accomplishment.

Maybe sometimes more is found in fully embracing His love.

So yes. As I start this 36th year of life…

I’m His favorite.

And somehow, beautifully enough…

So are you.

P.S. If you’ve been wondering whether you’re fully seen, fully known, or deeply loved — you are. Nothing can separate you from the love of God.

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