Underneath my maxi dresses and long skirts, my legs shake sometimes.
Underneath my smile, I am sad sometimes. Angry too.
Beneath the courage is fear, doubt, and shame sometimes.
Behind the quick response is a stream of questions.
Between my tongue and my teeth are muffled curses and screams and pleas for a "do-over."
Beneath the surface of the skin on my chest is the port where healing chemicals are introduced to my body.
Underneath all this clothing, I am also whole, complete, beautiful.
Underneath my maxi dresses and long skirts, my legs also stand firm and tall, unbowed before most of what life has brought my way.
Behind my smile is also love, happiness, and the sheer joy of being alive.
Beneath the courage is also strength, resolve, and boundless hope.
Behind the quick response is also the longing to listen to everyone else's stories.
Between my tongue and my teeth are also a million stories of grace, peace, mercy, forgiveness, and God's remarkable love for me and presence with me.
Beneath the surface of my skin my heart, mind, soul, and spirit also overflow with gratefulness and joyfullness.
2 Corinthians 4:7-9 - We have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed."
The power I have, the joy I have, the peace, the courage - this is not of me. I turn to God in prayer on a daily basis, on an hourly basis, because I often feel hard pressed on every side, crushed, perplexed, persecuted, and struck down. In prayer, in silence, in journaling, in meditation, I am refilled, renewed, reinforced, and am able to return to the fray, the challenges of parenting, marriage, homeschooling, and taking care of our home - as well as taking care of myself.
Underneath all of this clothing, I am naked, hungry, shivering,
and I am also loved, satisfied, and held close.
Thanks be to God.
2 comments:
Good Evening Gail~
Once again, your faith, hope, strength and your everlasting love of God continues to endure you on this Journey of a Lifetime. I admire how your elequent words of your healing journey gives hope, strength and peace to all those who know you. I know you feel much closer to Our Lord now than ever before, as I feel the same. Our journey's continue, for He has much more for US to accomplish in Life.
My thoughts and prayers for you Gail continue as always.
Paul~
you are amazing
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