Once Upon a time
Once upon a time, a little girl was hurt by the ones who should have protected her.
This pain caused a wound to fester within that began to poison her mind.
Lies from the pit of hell started to form in her thoughts that she was not enough as she was and that no one truly loved or wanted her.
As her journey continued, her path became twisted and dark, and, time and time again, she found herself in places she knew she shouldn't have been.
Until.
Jesus found her and rescued her from the dark and mucky pit.
He called her name and screamed the truth - that she was His - and the darkness fled from her midst.
Jesus healed her wound and replaced the dark thoughts and lies with the truth that she was more than enough as she was, that she was loved wholly and unconditionally, and that God - the creator of the universe, wants her.
She was forgiven for her wrong turns and mistakes, and God showed her how to forgive others in the same way. As she did so, her path brightened and untangled before her.
She looked back at her journey from the ashes and saw how God was repurposing all she endured and overcame to help others find the same relief God had provided her.
She felt so loved and cherished, knowing that God would be willing to sacrifice everything to save her.
Despite the challenges and struggles that came along, she fought her battles with honor and strength, knowing that she was protected and surrounded by love.
And she lived a beautiful story.
It might not have been the happily ever after ending of fairy tales, but it was a story for the ages nonetheless.
Her story was one of struggle, redemption, trust, and strength.
She strived to live out each day with purpose and conviction.
She never turned back. She kept going forward, following God every step of the way.
Her story is not over, and neither is yours.
Your journey from the ashes began a while ago, and you have worked hard to believe and receive the truth about God's love and forgiveness.
Your once-upon-a-time story is still unfolding.
Turn the page, take a step forward, and keep going.
It's getting REAL good!
Psalm 139: 14-16
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.
Jeremiah 29:11
For I know the plans and thoughts that I have for you,' says the Lord , 'plans for peace and well-being and not for disaster, to give you a future and hope.'
John 3:16
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.