As I reflect back on
my past year as Miss Cobb County 2012, I am amazed by all the wonderful
experiences I have had, the lifelong relationships I have formed, and the many
ways I have matured as an individual. I
am so thankful for the wonderful people in my life who have made this journey
as Miss Cobb County an absolute dream come true. I can remember sitting in the audience
watching Miss Cobb 2010 be crowned and saying to my mom, “Even if I never win
Miss Georgia, I want more than anything to be Miss Cobb County.” Remembering that moment still gives me
chills.
The entire Cobb
Board, especially my directors Gene and Charles, have supported me every step
of the way. From the moment I won they
began asking, “What can we do to help you? We will do our best to make it
happen.” And they did. They took care of every detail--from having
my dream dress rush-ordered to making sure I had access to anything I needed to
prepare for Miss Georgia. I have never
felt so loved and encouraged.
When I think about
all I have been blessed with this year—a $10,500 scholarship, the opportunity to
meet Bobby Cox, making Top Ten at Miss Georgia where I had the wardrobe of my
dreams, and list could continue for pages—I am so humbled and grateful for all
I have been given. It is definitely bitter
sweet going into this last week as Miss Cobb County because it marks the end of
a journey for me. I began competing in
pageants my senior year in high school.
Now going into my senior year of college, I see how far I have come in
four years. I am daily humbled by God’s
grace, but to me there is nothing more humbling than looking back into the past
and fully understanding how God used certain experiences and people in my life
to bring me to the moment I am in right now.
Four years ago I was
a 17 year-old girl who had no idea where she was going to college, had never competed in a pageant, and had
absolutely no idea how her life was about to change over the next few
years. Today, I am a 21 year-old young
woman who has held a state title, a national title, and had the opportunity to
compete at Miss Georgia—twice. I have
earned over $25,000 to help pay for school, visited places like New York, the
Virgin Islands, and Philadelphia, and had many more experiences that a price
tag could never justify. I don’t tell
you all this to say, “Hey look what I have done.” I tell you all of this to show you how God
has worked in my life and provided me with opportunities I never expected,
never dreamed possible. He has used my experiences in “pageant-land” to bring
me closer to Him. More than anything, He
has taught me He is the only thing that can bring me joy. No title, no amount of money, no beautiful evening
gown, no award even comes close to the satisfaction I find in knowing I get to
spend eternity in heaven because Jesus Christ is my Savior. That has been a lesson I have learned over
the last 4 years, and it has not been easy.
So many times I
thought “If I win this pageant/this award, then I will have accomplished
something.” Selfishly, I have thought, “I
know God has given me the talents to accomplish my dreams, and if I don’t win
it is because I didn’t work hard enough.”
I could not have been more wrong.
This past year at Miss Georgia, I went into the competition with a different
mindset than ever before. I entered the
week feeling as I usually do. I was prepared and confident in my abilities, knowing I
put in the necessary preparation and had dozens of people who were cheering me
on. But what made this week different was my end goal. It was my continuous prayer that even if I
did not win the title, God would be glorified through my actions that
week. I prayed constantly He would work
through me to be an encouragement to other contestants and a light for Him in
what can be such a dark place.
I performed that
week to the best of my ability and still get butterflies when I think about my
name being called out for Top Ten. When
I didn’t make Top Five, yes I was disappointed, but that is normal. It is the same for anything in life. When you work hard for something and invest a
lot of time and energy into it and don’t get it; yes, you are going to be
disappointed. But this year greater than
my disappointment was a confidence—a confidence that only comes from the Father—that
I am being called to something outside of pageants. There are no words that would adequately
describe the amount of gratitude I have for the Lord providing me with all the opportunities
I have had these last four years. I firmly
believe He is going to use me wherever I am to bring glory to His name, but I
also feel very strongly that He has another plan for my life.
As I write this, I cannot help but smile
thinking about returning to Ole Miss, a place that has become home to me, and
beginning my senior year. I have been
blessed with the most amazing friends and ministry opportunities at Ole Miss
and absolutely cannot wait to see what the Lord has in store for this next
year.
I want to end by
simply saying, “Thank you.” Thank you to
every person who has coached me, sent me cards or flowers or gifts, loved me,
encouraged me, prayed for me, driven to see me compete, or watched from their
computer screen. To the countless people
who have planted seeds of hope and encouragement along the way, to the people
who left an impression on my heart and probably have no idea—I extend a sincere
thank you to you all. I am looking
forward to the future and what God has in store for me next!
To Him be the glory,
now and forever.
With Love and
Gratitude,
Stephanie Burkholder
Miss Cobb County
2012
If you want to
continue following my journey check out my new blog
@ stephburkholder.blogspot.com
