JUST A BEAUTY MARK

Whooooaaa Nellie…put this thing in reverse! I went the wrong way!

I could have sworn this was the right way, I followed the directions and turned right at the STOP sign…crossed over that bridge even though it fell apart halfway through…kept going down that winding road till the boulder rolled in front of me and I came to a dead stop.

The signs were all there and I kept going anyway. My bad.

One dark night, without wearing my glasses, I turned onto a highway going the wrong way and drove right into oncoming traffic! Gaaaahhh!!! I was frantic and as quickly as I could I turned around. Because I was such a hot mess I ran the red light. Going the wrong way will indeed make you frantic! You’ll have an uneasy feeling in your spirit. Listen to that voice. It’s God saying “You’re going the wrong way chick!” Going the wrong way can cause a domino effect of problems and total chaos. Thankfully the police officer was understanding.

When we use God’s map instead of our own we’re on the right track. Getting there may not be a cakewalk. We’ll still have mountains to climb and valleys to blunder through.

I’m not the best at staying the course. I’ve taken the long way around more than once, okay, several times. Sometimes I allow myself to get sidetracked easily. I don’t like that about myself. There is a desire we have to be a part of something greater than ourselves, a desire to make a difference and to leave our mark in the world. Those are natural desires.

This sounds kinda super preachy but I’m saying it anyway. We need to seek God and ask Him, “Where do you want me? What do you want me to do.” And then watch and listen for His answer. He will answer you.

We will grow no matter where He plants us and no matter what is in our past. We can have that messy stuff in our lives, the messy stuff that leaves behind trauma and deep scars. But God turns all of our scars into beauty marks. He heals them and covers them with beauty and strength.

Sometimes I look in the mirror and I see a glimpse of those scars and Jesus reminds me of Proverbs 31:25 Strength and dignity are her clothing, and she laughs at the time to come. I look at myself and I whisper, “Hey girl, it’s just a beauty mark.”