You’re Not Broken. You’re Beautiful!
One of my most favorite things to do is take a stroll on the beach. When the weight of the world feels like it is on my shoulders, a quick escape to the sandy shores will sweep it all away. Just as the tide rushes in and brings new treasures with it in the form of seashells and sea creatures, the pull of the ocean takes things from the shore just as quickly as it was deposited mere seconds ago. It also does the same with me, only it restores my soul, revitalizes right to the core of my being, and refreshes my spirit.
The beach is no place for worries or concerns. Stress cannot exist with the rolling of the tide and crashing of the waves. Those sounds are far too soothing to provoke anything but relaxation and rejuvenation.
We cannot help but look down at our feet as we walk along the shore, but not at the sand between our toes. With our heads bowed, we search for those treasures beneath us and all around us … seashells.
If you’re lucky, you will come across a perfectly in-tact beauty of a shell. It may even look as if it is flawless. But you’ll never know the journey of that one little shell and things that threatened it along the way. Just because it appears perfect does not mean that it did not struggle.
The majority of the time, though, you’ll encounter broken shells along the shores. Some shells look as if they have been crushed beneath someone’s feet, and they probably have. There are some people that don’t find joy in searching for shells as I do, and that’s okay. But, I wish they’d preserve them for those of us that do go there sometimes for that very reason, to look for those precious treasures that have washed ashore.
Some may reach down to pick up a shell that looks near perfect as it’s laying there in the sand only to find that it is broken and worn underneath. Most would toss it aside without giving it another thought. Not I. I hold it in my hand, grasp it between my fingers and feel the different textures of the shell. I examine the color, the shape, and imagine what it would have looked like if it hadn’t been beaten, broken, and parts shattered along the way.
We feel like those shells at times in our lives, don’t we? We feel that as broken as we are, with what we’ve gone through in life, that no one would ever want us. We fear that we’ll be tossed aside, disregarded, and sometimes as if we have no true value in the eyes of others.
Hear me now, friends. You’re not broken … you’re beautiful!
I’m not just talking about your outer appearance. It’s your true beauty that shines, and it comes from inside. It comes from your heart and soul. It reflects in all the different, special ways that you care for others.
I see you over there: nurturing, caring, and loving … doing everything within your power to help another soul. I see you struggling and yet pushing your cares aside to put others first.
I see your true beauty reflected on your face as you cast a warm smile at a little child as you take the time to hear them … truly listening to them and making them feel like they matter, too! Because they do! Just like you!
I see you encouraging others when you need encouragement yourself. I see you going out of your way to offer support in whatever way you can to those who are hurting, sick, feeling lonely, and lost in life.
We all face things in this life. I doubt that there is one person that will escape the feelings of being beaten, broken, and shattered at some point in their lifetime. Bad things happen to good people. We aren’t sure why, and it’s not for us to know. One day when you meet your Maker, you can ask Him yourself why you had to struggle so much. I know that His ways are not our ways, and while we can’t see the path ahead of us, He can. I know He loves us with a love that is so hard to understand. Unconditional love. Rarely do people love with an unconditional love, but He does … and always will.
I’ll admit that there have been times in my life that I’ve felt like the broken shell. I’ve experienced great heartache and pain in my lifetime. I realize that what I’ve experienced has molded me into the person that I am today. It’s been a painful process at times, but I’m still here and thanking God for the gift of another day.
There’s others that have endured life altering things on their path as well. They’ve endured unspeakable things that threatened to claim their lives. They’ve struggled and wondered if they would ever be whole again.
There are several people in my life that immediately come to mind as I sit here writing this out. They are very near and dear to my heart, and they have gone through completely devastating things in their lives. They have felt just like this shell, too!
They’ve wondered if they have any value left due to what they’ve been through in this life.
They wonder if anyone would ever want them with their broken pieces and shattered lives.
I’m here to tell you that I do!
I admire your strength and the way you’ve continued to fight. I applaud even your smallest achievements along the way.
Although you may feel like it, you’re not broken, sweetie. You’re beautiful!
It has taken such courage and strength. You’ve fought so hard for so long to keep from being completely crushed by the pounding surf. You’ve felt frightened and alone at times even. But the beauty comes from watching you overcome! You’re still out there on the sandy shores displaying your beauty … just like the little shells.
You’re not broken.
You’re beautiful!
Friend – Five Minute Friday
Today’s prompt word for Five Minute Friday is: Friend!
I love when Fridays roll around as it’s an opportunity to see what goodies Lisa Jo has in store for us to write about this time. It’s writing with no regard to mistakes. No editing allowed. Just write for five whole minutes. The most important thing is to get those words out!
Ready?
Set?
GO!
Friend
Do you have that one friend in your life that no matter how long it has been since you’ve seen each other, it’s like no time has passed at all when you ARE together again?
I do!
It’s been almost ten years since we’ve seen each other face-to-face. Ten LONG years.
We’ve talked on the phone, sent messages, and all of that good stuff. Nothing could ever come close to actually being in front of them, though, looking into their eyes. Talking to them, watching their every move as they talked almost nonstop, but my not minding at all because we were there … together … within arm’s length so I could just reach out and hug at any given moment, and they wouldn’t mind. They would welcome it, appreciate it, and bask in the moment with me.
This is a very special friendship that has stood the test of time. Sure, there have been bumps along the way, there have been times we did not see eye-to-eye. We are different people from different walks of life, but when we come together, it is truly a beautiful thing. I appreciate, value, and respect our differences. It makes us who we are! And I would not change a single thing.
And so, after ten very long years, we have been reunited. We hugged, we cried, we held each other tight for an extremely long time when we saw each other after all of these years. It was very sweet, much needed, and soothing for the soul.
My best friend.
My forever friend.
My heart connected friend.
My I-love-you-to-the-end-of-time-and-beyond friend.
STOP!
Wear Your Red
I know the topic on the blog today isn’t one that we would normally discuss as this is not a cosmetologist site. However, if you stay with me long enough, I promise to throw some inspiration in as I love to do.
What girl, lady, or woman doesn’t love being pampered. Whether it is by going to get a massage at the spa or having a manicure and pedicure, as women, we like to treat ourselves every once in a while.
One day many years ago, I stopped in at a shop to have some “me time.” It wasn’t something that I did too often. Actually, I rarely gave myself the luxury of such a gift. This time was different, though.
As I sat there with my feet soaking in the bubbling water, I could feel the stress leaving my body as if the drain at the very bottom would surely suck all of the stress down with the water when they pulled the plug. I tried to tame my thoughts and not allow them to run wild but to, instead, try really hard not to think about anything at all. Ladies, you know how that goes, though. In moments like this, you try and you try, but you end up going over a list a mile long in your head of things you need to do … like the laundry, cleaning the house, washing drapes, etc.
Then my thoughts were interrupted right about the same time as my toes still soaking in the water started to look like little prunes!
“Ma’am … what color ma’am?”
I was snatched from my “to do list” in my head and brought back to the reality of a little Chinese person standing in front of me asking what color I would like my nails painted.
I replied with a simple:
“Red”
The little Chinese person immediately began shaking their head as they said:
“Red … no. Red not your color, ma’am.”
I sat there for a second wondering if they really said those words to me or if my mind was playing tricks on me. Then I heard it again:
“Red not your color!”
Um, okay.
I have never been told that before in all of my life. Red … is not my color? But, I love red!
I sat there slowly withdrawing my feet from the soapy water as they pulled the drain to let the water out. I watched as the suds all but disappeared as they were washed away, like my desire to wear red and actually look good in it.
As they dried my feet and began their usual routine of clipping, trimming, and scrubbing, I sat there thinking about what they said.
How many times have you had your heart set on something only to have someone dash your hopes and dreams with their mere words?
It seems so small, the words that red just was not my color. However, it was their opinion, too, not necessarily the truth of the matter. Just because they did not think I would look good in red or that red was simply not my color in their eyes, their words did not have the power to stop me. Only I had that power. I had to decide at that moment in time whether I was going to allow a nay-sayer to take away my desire to wear red confidently ever again, or if I was going to go full steam ahead and insist on the red.
Can you guess which I chose?
The red, of course!
As they put their clippers away, then massaged my calves and heels, drying off my nails to prepare for the polish, they asked again:
“Ma’am, what color?”
With a smile forming at the corners of my lips, I simply replied with one word:
“Red!”
There it was! There was the voice of confidence that had gotten pushed aside momentarily by the negative words spoken over me. There was the voice that chose to rise above! There was the voice with great determination that she would not only insist on red but look good and feel confident wearing it.
And guess what? With their head shaking in disapproval, they did, in fact, paint my nails red. A firey red. A deep flame red, even. But red … my heart’s desire!
The point in this entire post tonight is not to let any one else’s opinion trump your own! Don’t let any one steal your joy either! Just like I started out on this journey to have some “me time” and enjoy myself to the fullest, this had the potential to very easily steal my joy if I had allowed it to. But you know what? I didn’t.
And you shouldn’t either!
While we wish that every one we come into contact with would have encouraging words for and about us or that they would choose to speak life over us, not every one will. The thing is NOT to allow someone else’s words to injure you.
Choose your red! Choose whatever your heart’s desire is in this life. Don’t let anyone change your mind. If you change it later on, that is fine, but be sure that it is because you had a change of heart and NOT because someone spoke negatively over you.
Hold your head up high and live YOUR dream. Be yourself. Do your own thing. Don’t let any one else influence your decisions in a negative way.
Fast forward many, many years later, and guess what my signature color has been since that day? You got it – RED!
With such determination, with such confidence, with my head held high, I wear my red polish proudly! The majority of the time you will find me with perfectly polished red toenails and fingernails, and loving every minute of it!
Wear your red.
Join us every Wednesday for inspirational and encouraging messages straight from the heart here … and at Holley Gerth‘s site as well!
