Mirror Image

Ava collapsed on the side of the bed and began to cry, uncontrollably. After a night of passion with the man she was so deeply in love with, she thought she would be on top of the world. That world suddenly changed when she noticed the stack of money that he left behind on the table. Even though she loved this man deeply, and she was waiting for him to leave his wife, (so he said), to marry her, she could not help but to feel like a common whore who was paid for her services! He said the money was to help her with the hotel room she paid for, but for some reason, she could not get the word "whore" out of her head. How did she get here? What circumstances led her to this place? How did she lose her direction? Ava know longer knew who SHE was. She lost herself as the desire to finally have someone love her, by any means necessary, consumed her. She did not realize the person she had become.

Through red and swollen eyes from crying, and the mascara that stained her cheek, looking in the mirror, all she saw was a "whore", a "slut", a "home wrecker", the little girl that daddy didn't want and who refused to be a part of her life. A woman no one wanted to marry, but good enough to sleep with. A woman who lived by how PEOPLE saw her instead of how GOD loved her. The mirror image of herself was tainted, making herself available to man after man. Those relationships succumbed to her being mentally and emotionally abused. Ava grew up in church, but where were the scriptures that she memorized as a young girl? Why weren't the sermons coming back to her rememberance? All she wanted was a Man who would never leave her or forsake her. But why did God seem so far away? Regardless of how she saw herself, and who used and abused her, Ava needed to know that God still saw her as beautiful!

Ephesians 2:10 (NASB) states: "For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them." Merriam Webster's dictionary defines "workmanship" as "the quality of the work that is done by someone." In other words, the workmanship focuses not just on the item being made, but the quality used in making it! If this item were to fall or break, this does not necessarily mean that the item was not quality, just mishandled! In some cases, the pieces would have to be put back together again, or replaced. From a more spiritual standpoint, God already created us as quality jewels! As women, we may become tarnished, we may bend or we may break, we may even be mishandled. But regardless of what we go through, the "quality" that is God-ordained in us never changes! We just have to walk in it and believe it! We need to put the broken pieces of our lives back together, or we need an attitude replacement! We may not be able to change our circumstances, but we can change our attitude towards negativity! We need to replace negative thoughts and words with positive thoughts and words. I challenge you all to research the promises of God and know what He promised to you! You are the head and not the tail. Greater is He Who is in You than he who is in the world! You are fearfully and wonderfully made! Take the time to Google "the promises of God". Memorize these promises and keep them in the secret places of your heart and never forget them!

So now, I ask the question: What do you see when you look in the mirror? Do you see a woman whose parents abandoned her? Do you see a woman who continuously finds herself in unhealthy relationships? Are you a woman who did not get enough attention as a young girl? Are you a woman, like Ava above, who is still hurting behind an unhealthy relationship? Are you a woman who didn't have the father they should have had? Are you a woman who's relationship with your mother isn't the best? Do people see you as fat, ugly, weird or dumb? Are you undecided, indecisive and confused? Do you feel like you just don't fit in? God made us with quality pieces! So hold your head up high and walk into what God called you to. I want you to look in the mirror and see a miracle. I want you to see a loving God who has or can take you out of the middle of your mess. I want you to see a God who kisses your tears and rocks you in His arms. I want you to be proud of yourself as you look in the mirror. I want you to hear God say YOU'RE BEAUTIFUL. Yes, you did this.....this.....this.....and that! BUT GOD!

Forever Hoping for you,

Y.