Its amazing how often we believe that we are alone in our struggles. Too often. Especially when it comes to the way we view ourselves. We spend so much time in our own brains, thinking how wonderful they are and how flawed we are. Its so awesome when people come into our lives that remind us…you are not alone.
A new friend of mine, Tiffany Dawn, shares her story in her book titled The Insatiable Quest for Beauty. As I paged through her words I could not help but resonate with her story, her quest, her pain. She writes, “Strapping on my heels, I stood for final, long stare in the mirror. I hated that mirror and what it told me, but somehow couldn’t imagine life without it.” Amen sister. I hate that dag mirror too.
Here’s Tiffany and her encouragement for you today. Tiffany would also love to send you a copy of her book so leave a comment below and be entered in a giveaway to win one!
Just a Hot Mess by: Tiffany
“God’s weakness is stronger than the greatest of human strength,”
1 Corinthians 1:25b, NLT.
I read this and breathe, “So weakness is human. I don’t have to have it all together all the time, because God is strong though I am not.” This verse lifts weight off my shoulders, because it means that I can be a mess.
And that’s good because let me tell you: I am a hot mess.
I spent much of my life trying to be good enough, always giving a little more and a little more, but never finding the “enough” portion. Whether in society, the church, or my own mind, I would do whatever was required, but something more was inherently missing.
When we wear a mask, we live like it’s all about us. We worry about what other people are thinking. We obsess over our appearance, which is why that mask is so important. But here’s the thing:
IT’S NOT ALL ABOUT US!
This thing called life is all about God and for Him; it’s in Him and through Him. It’s for His glory. We have nothing apart from Him. We can never be “good enough” to earn His love, and yet He has given it freely. We have nothing to prove and nothing to earn. He has already accepted us and called us to show His love to the world we live in: to know Him and make Him known.
I felt like shackles fell off me, like I hadn’t realized I was holding my breath, but I could suddenly breathe again. Deeply, fully. Because it wasn’t all about me.
God has set me free from disordered eating. I love the person God has created me to be, and I thank Him for this body He’s given me: the one I used to hate and hide.
This is the person I was, but grace has changed me. Every victory and freedom has been found in the strength of Christ. It’s okay to be weak. It’s okay to be human. We are loved just as we are. And we can be free, not through how good we are, but through how close we stay to our Father.
To hear more of Tiffany Dawn’s story, check out her book The Insatiable Quest for Beauty and her website: www.tiffany-dawn.net.