If you’re reading this, then you might be wondering why someone like me would name a company Lindsayrella Designs. And if you are willing to embark on a journey through my world, I’ll share a chapter in a few words…
My name is Lindsay or to some, “Lindsayrella” (think Cinderella…) thanks to a friend who jokingly bestowed this nickname upon me, but it stuck. Why? Because it resonated deep inside of me. I hadn’t thought of myself as that special, but a simple nickname-a word-had the ability to awaken my heart with the truth of who I was in an instant.
What little girl doesn’t want to be a princess growing up? But not just any princess, but to identify and be seen as a unique princess? And it’s not as if that desire fades as we become adults either. So while, it appeared to be a silly nickname, it would continue to mark how I saw myself, how I carried myself and how I interacted with the world in and around me. And they say words are just words…
So, what do you do when your life takes an unexpected and drastic turn that thrusts you into a plot right out of the pages of a Cinderella-esque tale? One in which a character wonders who they really are, how they ended up in this strange land, and how to get out of the dark dungeon.
Lindsayrella Designs was birthed out of the most intense season of my life, in which I found myself facing those very questions.
It all started when I woke up not feeling well. Little did I know, “that feeling” would turn into a 4.5 year-long battle for not only my health but my future, my faith, my dreams, my words, my story…
In an instant, I went from being in the prime of my life about to step into lifelong dreams to having everything in my life stripped away. And by everything...I mean everything.
With no firm diagnosis to date, the best doctors can tell me is that I had an infection in my intestinal tract that I developed from living in a third world country, which then triggered a mysterious illness. Whatever the cause and whatever it was, it was debilitating. I spent the next 7 months in bed not knowing what was wrong with me, questioning why this was happening and wondering if I would ever get better.
I imagine I felt like Cinderella did at first, locked away in a corner waiting for her world to change-wanting with everything in me to hold onto the belief that my circumstances didn’t define me and that I would get better. And while my health was long in turning around, I learned a beautiful lesson in that if I never left my room again, God would love me no more or no less, because my identity-my purpose-my worth has to do with my relationship with Him, not in what I do. My life wasn’t over because I was stuck in bed-I still had access to the greatest relationship of my life. And if all I could offer Him was my breath than that was enough.
Yet, I wasn’t about to roll over and give up on myself or my dreams and I certainly wasn’t about to settle for a life of imprisonment in my own bed. I had to hold onto faith that my circumstances could change, but even if they didn’t, I could and would adjust. After all, I was Lindsayrella...but more importantly I was a child of God.
We don’t always get to choose what happens to us, but we can choose how we respond-in what we think, what we choose to believe, the words we speak and the actions we take.
For example, on a practical level I had a choice to make. Lay in bed defeated because I was too sick to move to Los Angeles, or I could choose to dream with God as we navigated a new course. And whether that course would eventually lead me back to the dreams I thought were no longer possible or whether it revealed new ones, I chose to trust Him. And so, despite being so sick I could barely function, I pressed forward with His strength just as it says in scripture, when I am weak He is strong and ended up going back to university albeit online.
It was not an easy journey. In fact, being that sick was the hardest thing I had ever experienced, but through it all I held onto the promise in Jeremiah 29:11 where God says, I have given you hope and a future. And you know what, God walked with me through the valley of the shadow of death step by step..day by day...month after month...and year after year...until I had climbed to the top of the mountain and walked across that stage at graduation having earned a BA in Organizational Leadership with a 4.0 GPA!
I’ve never been one to brag about or find my worth in a GPA, but I share this to say my dreams helped me focus past the pain and hope kept me going! So, be relentless in the pursuit of what sets your heart on fire! Where there’s a dream, there’s a way! You are stronger than you know! And who knows, you might even go on to start a business in the midst of the hardest season of your life, because with God nothing is impossible!
So, here I am today! A business owner! A once unfathomable dream has become a reality! This business venture is so much more than a dream realized-It is my anthem which declares I am worthy, I can and I will, and my story isn’t over! In fact, the page is simply turning and there’s a whole new chapter being written…waiting to be told…
So, no matter what page your life is currently writing, may your heart embrace deep hope and may you encounter the truth that you are loved, known and designed to shine! And remember, what you believe about your story (your life) is powerful!
I pray that you and your family be in good health! And may God’s presence be ever near to you as you encounter the truth of who you were created to be! Just as He knows you by name, He has a plan and a purpose for you, to give you hope and a future!
I would be truly blessed knowing that my story resonates with you, so please don’t hesitate to share your story with me!
Blessings,
Lindsay
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