Day Two: ACKNOWLEDGING THE WOUND
. . . He made us accepted in the Beloved.
—EPHESIANS 1:6
At the heart of every woman afraid to call herself beautiful is a woman who has been wounded. Avoiding beauty, or refusing to pursue it, is self-protection. In our hearts we believe we’ll never be good enough, that we’ll never be accepted. Our efforts are half-hearted. For years, my only goal was to avoid humiliation. I didn’t want to feel the pain of my childhood, when I was called a monster and bullied into believing I was, and forever would be, ugly. I was not accepted. How could I ever call myself beautiful?
In those childhood years, I read a fairy tale about a mermaid girl who longed to be beautiful. Her mother clipped shells on her tail, and as the girl cried out, her mother reminded her that beauty must hurt. Today I see that is a true statement for so many of us. Beauty does hurt, but for a different reason: it hurts to open ourselves again to disappointment and rejection. Acknowledging our desire for beauty can reopen wounds we’ve fought to close.We wanted silence to heal us and avoidance to make us forget. But the little girl who longed to be beautiful, to be accepted, is still inside. What are we to do with her?
In Luke 18:16, Jesus said, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God.” Are you willing to bring the little girl inside you to Jesus? He will accept her just as she is. He will protect her and give her the courage to believe again. To allow her to believe again in love and beauty, and in a God who will always call her Beautiful.
Ask: God, heal my wounds.
Believe: In Jesus I’m healed and unconditionally accepted.