Put on
From the earliest age I was trying to look pretty by measuring up to standards of womanhood I saw around me. Meanwhile, you were waiting. I worked hard to buy more expensive clothes, I sweated through the hardest exercise to shape my body, I restricted my diet all to look better, smaller, more beautiful, and you waited. I failed and tried again,
I gave up trying to look like those I deemed beautiful, I put on clothes to camouflage parts of myself I was ashamed of. My closet was full of clothes but trying them on ment facing my ugliness in the mirror. I just wanted to look pretty, to feel beautiful. One day trudging to my closet I realized I was without you when I stood by the mirror. because you make me feel loved and I didn't feel loved there, just judged. On that day I asked you to join me. It was a last resort, a cry to please be with me in this dark place.
,You whispered, "This will be fun!"
love
"And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly," colossians 3:14 and 15
From the earliest age I was trying to look pretty by measuring up to standards of womanhood I saw around me. Meanwhile, you were waiting. I worked hard to buy more expensive clothes, I sweated through the hardest exercise to shape my body, I restricted my diet all to look better, smaller, more beautiful, and you waited. I failed and tried again,
I gave up trying to look like those I deemed beautiful, I put on clothes to camouflage parts of myself I was ashamed of. My closet was full of clothes but trying them on ment facing my ugliness in the mirror. I just wanted to look pretty, to feel beautiful. One day trudging to my closet I realized I was without you when I stood by the mirror. because you make me feel loved and I didn't feel loved there, just judged. On that day I asked you to join me. It was a last resort, a cry to please be with me in this dark place.
,You whispered, "This will be fun!"
I almost laughed at how crazy that sounded
but I said, "how?"
You said, "Let's pick a color!"
It was a color game! In my mind I saw red. My favorite color. The color of my favorite childhood dress, The color I carried on my wedding day. "Just pick something red"
It was a color game! In my mind I saw red. My favorite color. The color of my favorite childhood dress, The color I carried on my wedding day. "Just pick something red"
I wore a little red that day and thought about how I loved red and how you loved me. Red became wearing love for me. I didn't feel like it was brash or bold like I used to but it was wearing love.
One by one you brought me new colors and as I put them on new words came with them, peace, joy, grace. I learned to stop camouflaging and start celebrating who you made me, how you made me.
Sometimes the old thoughts would creep in at the worst times. "Oh, look at that chubby tummy, or wow this dress is too showy for this event, or they can see how shabby your shoes are." When those thoughts pierced me I plucked the ugly arrow out and think, "but I wore red today, and red reminds me I am loved. I refuse to wear ugly words, I choose to wear love today.
One by one you brought me new colors and as I put them on new words came with them, peace, joy, grace. I learned to stop camouflaging and start celebrating who you made me, how you made me.
Sometimes the old thoughts would creep in at the worst times. "Oh, look at that chubby tummy, or wow this dress is too showy for this event, or they can see how shabby your shoes are." When those thoughts pierced me I plucked the ugly arrow out and think, "but I wore red today, and red reminds me I am loved. I refuse to wear ugly words, I choose to wear love today.
A beautiful bright wardrobe of clothes and words opened up to me like a gift. Each day in the closet was an adventure. The clothes were the same but how I saw myself in the mirror was completely different. The unbelievable thing I slowly discovered was that other people saw the words I put on each day too!. I would get compliments of, "you look so happy today." when I put on Joy. "You look regal!" when I put on Grace, "Red is so beautiful on you ! "when I wore red;, because loved people are beautiful.
Imagine we are standing in front of an amazing wardrobe all for you! Will you join God in this game of dress up? He has been waiting for you to put on this clothing for a very long time. He wants you to feel the softness of Compassion, hear the swish of Peace, know the perfectly cut fit of a garment of Love on your skin. So open the door and look at all the colors! What do you want to put on first?
