"I'm too loud, too bubbly, too excited—I need to calm down and be less."
How it sounds in your head: Everyone rolls their eyes when I get excited. My teacher told me to use my 'inside voice' again. Mom says I'm 'a lot' when I talk about things I love. Maybe I should just be quieter.
"The LORD your God in your midst, The Mighty One, will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing."
-- Zephaniah 3:17Source: world and religion that calls women 'too much' when they express joy, silencing feminine enthusiasm as inappropriate or attention-seeking.
Adults keep telling her to tone it down, and she notices other girls getting praised for being calm and quiet. She's starting to believe her natural energy is a problem that needs fixing.
Hannah prayed so passionately in the temple that the priest accused her of being drunk and told her to calm down. God didn't rebuke her intensity—He answered her prayer and gave her Samuel, and she became the mother of a prophet.
I REFUSE the lie that my joy is too much! IT IS WRITTEN that the Lord REJOICES over me with singing—He doesn't tell me to quiet down, He sings WITH me! My enthusiasm is not a flaw; it's a reflection of the abundant life Jesus gave me. IT IS WRITTEN in John 10:10 that Jesus came to give me life MORE abundantly—not a toned-down, shrink-yourself life! I am the daughter of the King who RUNS toward me, not away from me. The BARAK blessing over Abraham's seed is MINE, and it includes favor with God and man—the right people will CELEBRATE my energy, not shame it!
The Father sees you lighting up about things you love, and He doesn't sigh—He SMILES. He made you with that sparkle, that passion, that contagious joy, because it's a glimpse of Heaven's celebration, and He wouldn't change one decibel of your laughter.