Okay…I am going to say something that you may gasp at. Please note, I checked with Breanne before I wrote this particular motivation. Something happened yesterday that just shocked my senses and I have to share it with you and what God taught me through it.
You all know I have two grandchildren that are the light of my life…Bryson who is 9 and Brailee is 5 years old. I couldn’t love those two more; everyone that knows me knows that truth. Bryson was an adorable baby, beautiful skin, big brown eyes and always, always smiling. Brailee, whom we absolutely adore and are so thankful we have her, was not so much. Brailee was not a pretty baby when she was first born, and Brailee cried all the time. In addition, she made ugly faces at everyone. I know people say that all babies are pretty but we don’t agree. Brailee, as much as we adore her, she simply was not a pretty baby.
So, here is what happened; yesterday I looked at a picture of Brailee that Breanne had taken before her last birthday, it was one I had not seen before. As I looked at the picture I was shocked at her beauty. Yes, beauty. She is a beautiful little girl.
I pulled up one of her baby pictures and looked at it; Bryson came up behind me and said ‘who is that!’ I laughed and said ‘it is Brailee.’ I looked from the baby picture to the more recent photo and thought ‘wow, this beauty came from that!’ As I did the Lord began to speak to me.
God began to speak to me and show me how he did the same thing for me; I am not talking about physical beauty. I am talking about inner beauty.
God began to show me how he picked me out and chose me at the ugliest time in my life. He took that ugly, on the inside, lump of clay and began to mold me and make me and change me and rearrange me and heal hurts and wounds and bring life to places that had died. He worked on me and worked on me and one day I was a much more beautiful sight in His eyes. He didn’t love me any less while I was ugly, but he molded me into something fit for the Master’s use – and he did it from the inside out.
Psalms 139:14 says; I will praise you for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works, and my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from you, when I was made in secret and skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth. Your eyes have seen my unformed substance.
God knew me, before I knew me, he knew me when all he could see was my unformed capabilities and beauties and that is what he cultivated and molded and brought to life…isn’t that wonderful. I look back to what I was before God and think ‘WOW, I came out of that!’
Listen, I am not saying that I am perfect or wonderful or beautiful but what I am saying is that God has created and molded in me many things that are fit for the Master’s use. He has caused my goodness to shine through. He has caused my love for my brothers and sisters to shine through. He has removed the hurts of the past and revealed a level of trust that was once hidden. He has given me new hopes, new strengths, and frankly a brand new life. I am now a person to can minister to others and help others who are hurting. I thank God for seeing me and loving me when I was not pretty to look at and not very lovable. Yet He loved me and he became my Potter and I, his clay. He brought out in me what was already there, hidden under the ugly things like had brought out in me.
Isaiah 61:3 says; to console those who mourn in Zion, to give them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they may be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.
God has given me beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, praise for heaviness and I AM CALLED a tree of righteousness, the planting of the Lord…to my God be all the glory.
I don’t know if you see yourself this way or not, but if you don’t, read this over and over again until you realize what a wonderful, beautiful thing God brought to light when he found you and molded you and healed you and loved you. YOU are wonderfully made! You are the beauty that came from the ashes…never forget it!
