Ever Be

My Giving Keys necklace has become quite special to me since I received it last week and I can hardly justify leaving the house without it around my neck. If you’ve never heard of The Giving Keys before, here’s the premise: The Giving Keys exists to employ those transitioning out of homelessness to make jewelry out of repurposed keys that get sold and shared around the world. Each key is unique and carries a message like HOPE, STRENGTH, DREAM or COURAGE. When the wearer of the key encounters someone else who needs the message on the key, they give it away and then send us the story of their key being paid forward.

I love supporting a good cause and standing for good in the way I dress. For a while I debated which message I wanted engraved on my key. What message do I need most? What words do I want hanging around my neck? It may seem silly, but I wanted these words to mean something. After long thought, I eventually chose the words “ever be”. These two words are derived from one of my favorite songs by Bethel Music actually titled “Ever Be” which you can listen to here. The lyrics of this song have so much meaning and really speak life into my heart. This song is a beautiful reminder of all the reasons His praise should ever be on our lips.

What does ever be mean to me? I wear these words around my neck as a constant reminder of God’s grace and presence in my life. Ever, also meaning always, is how often God is working in and through me and also how often I need to be reminded to send praise back His way. Be, meaning existing. I was challenged with the question last year, “who do you want to be?”. A million answers ran through my head simultaneously as I pondered what profound answer I could possibly come up with. At this stage in my life I’m frequently asked what I study, what I do and where I’m from. While I don’t oppose talking about such things (in fact I love talking about these things) I almost feel defined by them. Here’s the thing; we’re more than our occupation, our major and past. We’re what we desire in the depths of our hearts, what we dream of, and what we live for. The things that are most important to us are what give us the energy to continue on when we’re worn out. For me Jesus keeps me going. And this is where I realize I don’t need an impressive answer, I just want to

Be humbled by God’s grace

Be present in every moment

Be a light in the darkness

Be authentic

Be bold

With that said, this key hanging around my neck is a physical reminder to “walk by faith and not by sight” (2 Corinthians 5:7).

xx Mariah

Photography by Morgan Tomasetti

Last year at this time: Middle of the Road