What’s that you say? Beauty on this day? On one of the most bizarre and seemingly hopeless election days we’ve ever had? Beauty?? Sometimes the bad outshines the good. Sometimes it is easier to focus on the negative than the positive. Sometimes things in our world are ugly and we have to be purposeful in finding beauty. That time is now.
I want to welcome as many of your stories as I can so on this Saturday, and if it works out, all the Saturdays to come, I’m hosting a link-up post sharing extravaganza.
I’m thrilled to introduce you to my once cyber friend who recently turned into an “in real life friend”, Laura Murray. She is a dedicated mommy, party planner extraordinaire and a beautiful soul with a gorgeous face to go with all that. When she shared this post on her blog, happilymurrayed.com (such a clever blog name!), I immediately asked her if I could make it a permanent fixture on EPFH. Her story, laced with vulnerability, honesty, and truth, resonates with mine and I felt like it would resonate with many of you as well. It’s a story that needs to be shared so others, you, can be filled. Be sure to check out her blog for more incredible stories. ~Andrea
I got new glasses recently.
I’m not going to lie, I feel like a poser.
This is the Church.
Forgive me for taking pictures during church but it was a sacred moment that I had to permanently capture. It needed to be more than a mental memory because those memories (at my age) are all too fleeting these days.
This is about a woman who was sitting in church alone… with tear-stained cheeks and a used up tissue.
This is about a woman who was alone. Until she wasn’t.
Our youngest is now 16. When we lived in Singapore, we were headed out on a vacation and the taxi driver who picked us up to take us to the airport thought it necessary to mention to her how ugly her freckles were. His words. She was about 11 at the time. You think she remembered that?? Heck yeah. Coming to his defense, with SO much grace, the Asian culture generally do everything possible to keep their skin light and without blemish so freckles are a sign of too much sun, therefore, ugly. But man, really???
Fast forward to present day….. about 5 years later…
She yells to me from upstairs, “Mom, guess who came to visit???” I yelled back, “Who?” She said, “My freckles!” My heart sank a little because as her mom I know those voices and I knew what she was thinking. Because mom’s don’t forget these wounds in herself or her children.
Oh my sweet baby girl. She is just so beautiful. She knows this in a healthy and humble way. She really does. I mean, look at her! And she’s even prettier on the inside! No joke!!
She came downstairs and leaned into me. I asked her if she was hearing that taxi driver’s voice in her head and she nodded.
5 years later, y’all!! I even remember exactly where the taxi driver was standing and the look on her sweet, confused and devastated face.
Whoever said, “sticks and stones will break my bones but words will never hurt me” is a flat out liar. We want to believe that so desperately but it’s just not true. Words break us and word build us up.
I remember someone telling me once that she didn’t sing out loud in places because her husband told her once she didn’t sing well.
I remember the very moment and exactly where I stood when a church leader pierced my very soul with his words.
But… let’s flip this convo over on it’s buttocks and put the dark side down, shall we?
I also remember when I spelled the word “neighbor” right when I was very young (and I’m very old now) and how my Dad praised me for knowing how to spell such a hard word.
Our favorite outfit is probably one that someone told us we looked really good in.
I pray our daughter will remember the countless times we’ve told her how gorgeous she is, inside and out, freckles and all!! And gosh her freckles are SO cute!!
What are your freckles? And who is your taxi driver?
Embrace the freckles!!! And love the taxi driver anyway. Bless his heart….
~Andrea
Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable–if anything is excellent or praiseworthy–think about such things. Philippians 4:8
Empty Plate . Full Heart 