How to Look Good Naked

Once upon a time, there was once a show on ABC or FOX called, How To Look Good Naked.  It was a transformative show and I only saw a few episodes, but it was one of those life-changing shows.  The premise of the show was women who didn't feel comfortable in their own skin and dealing with the insecurities that prevented them from seeing the beauty within themselves that others saw in them.  

As I think about the topic of identity and I've been praying about it, the biggest revelation is how differently you begin to see yourself once the scales of deception are removed and the lies no longer have power.  For instance, over the last few weeks, I'm not gonna lie, I've been feeling myself.  I've caught myself looking in the mirror, admiring myself, just proud to be me.  The reason I share this is for years, I didn't know who I was, what my purpose was, and  I didn't like the identity I was walking in.  I HATED myself.  I didn't look in the mirror.  I had bought all the lies laid out in front of me and I was trying to walk in the identity of the me that I was selling others, but I didn't know that me and I wasn't sure who that was to fully walk in.

I then discovered a turning point. I had to come to terms with who I had walked as and realize the lies I'd believed and then see the truth.  I had to go before God and seek his truth.  Sometimes that came through kind words of friends, family, mentors.  I started reading Armor of God by Priscilla Shirer and there are a couple pages of verses of who we are and truths to walk in.  Then I found myself in an accountability/discipleship group.  We were reading a book, Bondage Breaker Neil T. Anderson and then started Victory Over The Darkness by the same gentleman.  Those three books coupled with friends and family that God surrounded me with that spoke grace over me helped me to renew and transform my mind like Romans 12 encourages us to do.  2 Corinthians 10:5 in the New Life Version says, "We break down every thought and proud thing that puts itself up against the wisdom of God. We take hold of every thought and make it obey Christ."  The key to the renewal is taking every thought before God, no matter how small or silly it may feel.  Checking your thoughts helped me to recognize the patterns and cycles I was in.  I began to see the deceptions approaching and could check them before I had given in to what I thought could be God, but wasn't.  As deception got checked, it made it easier to hear the truths.  Then it was easier for me to speak the truths.  Now, I'm looking in mirrors, catching myself in windows and doing double takes.  When you strip away all the layers that deception has had you pile on over the years and you're bare before God and all that's there is you and the identity He gives/gave and spoke over you, it's easier to embrace His day 6 phrase, He saw what he had made and called it very good.

I'll Never Let Go

So, I know the title sounds a little like the cheesy line from Titantic, but I find it fitting for my first post.  I love going to see my Brailyn, who is like my niece for those who don't know.  Not only is it guaranteed to be a time tilled with laughter, but she is also a vessel God uses to teach me, often unexpectedly.  

This time was no different.  While fixing us a snack, she comes in and begins to chat with me and to sum it all up, she had a desire to be able to touch the ceiling.  As I go to pick her up, she panics and begins to whimper.  I put her down and ask her if she trusts me.  She says yes.  I tell her I would never drop her and she says, "I Know."

I walk back into the kitchen and she comes back and tells me she's ready and after waiting a few minutes, we try again.  This time I have her walk her hands up the wall so she can see how obtainable her goal is.  Three palms from the top, she cries out for me to bring her back down and tells me she's afraid.  I bring her back down slowly and put her  on the couch in front of me.

"Brailyn, do you trust me?"
"Yes."
"Brailyn, have I ever dropped you?"
"No."
"Don't you know that I would never do anything to hurt you or let you get hurt?"  And as I ask this last question, I can hear the heart of God.  I hear God asking me the same things.  Her answer.  The same as mine.  I know.

After getting her to say, I can touch the ceiling.  I will touch the ceiling.  I am going to touch the ceiling.  My munchkins walks her hands up the wall and touched the ceiling.

God so often is trying to pry us from our position of paralyzing fear and move us past a confession of I can to I am.  We have to know that God is constantly whispering to us "I'll never let go."  Move past desiring to do the will of God to living and walking out the will of God.  The joy of purpose fulfilled is far greater than potential paralyzed.