When I was young I struggled with self-confidence and my body image, I labeled myself not enough. I constantly compared myself to those around me, it got to the point where I believed that if I lost weight I would finally be "enough". At fifteen years old I remember setting on my bed feeling so overwhelmed by emotion, I reached over and grabbed my Bible. the first verse I read that day was in Song of Solomon, and it tells us, "You are altogether beautiful my darling, there is no flaw in you".
Those words hit me hard. I had let the labels others had placed on me as well as the labels I had begun to place on myself define who I am. Thinking back on that time in my life know I realize that I was simply allowing others to tell me who I was and who I should be, when in reality I am not who they say I am. I am Alianna, daughter and sister, child of the most High, friend and mentor. I am loved, cherished, and needed. I am a messy and at times I feel broken beyond repair, but I am still ENOUGH!
I know many of you have walked through something similar or maybe you are currently walking through this season. I want to take a minute to talk to those of you who find yourselves believing those labels placed on you. Please hear me when I say - You are more then your past mistakes, You are more then any label that could ever be placed on you. You are always enough and you are loved beyond your wildest dreams.
As I walked through that season the thing that helped me the most was surrounding myself with others who understood what I was going through and encouraged me along the way. Whether it was them sending me an encouraging message at the exact moment I needed it or the times they simply sat with me and made sure I wasn't only in those moments I was at my lowest.
I've said all of this to let you know I see you. I understand and I believe in you. The one thing I wish people would understand is that there is someone behind all the labels we place on them. We are more than our labels.
Your challenge this week is to look at the who behind all the labels. Instead of believing all the labels placed on us and those around us, look at the person behind those labels and get to know them.
"For the spirit of God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self discipline" - 2 Timothy 1:7
You have a God-given uniqueness!
Shalom ~ Alianna C.
Comments