Today’s post was originally shared on the LifeWay Women leadership blog. LifeWay Women aims to equip women to reach women, in Jesus’ Name. You can subscribe to their blog for weekly updates and more material that will encourage you to lead like Jesus! “How old are you?” It’s one of the first questions I was asked when […]

From Peer to Fear I remember sitting in my ninth grade Sunday school class hearing about peer pressure. The example was someone standing on a chair trying to pull another friend up onto the chair with them. No matter how hard she tried, it was much easier for the friend on the ground to pull […]

Your pant size won’t always be the same. Your skin won’t always be firm. Your hair won’t always be the color it is. Your height won’t even stay the same as you age! However, one thing will stay with you throughout all of life’s transitions and trials: your heart.

Another five pounds. The numbers on the scale told me a story of loss, but my heart felt a surge of confidence. I glanced up at the mirror and saw a tall, lanky body standing there, wasting away in many ways. I turned around and examined my spine protruding from my back and shuddered. Why did this make me feel so beautiful? In many ways I felt like I was disappearing. Each week I was losing more and more weight. And yet, every reflection I whispered to me that if I just kept going I would finally enough. I wanted to be noticed, but I still felt invisible. 

By this point you’ve probably already heard of the unfortunate mistake at the Miss Universe Pageant. Videos are plastered all over the internet of the heart-wrenching moment the crown was taken off of Miss Colombia and placed on the rightful winner, Miss Philippines. It is hard to watch without a deep feeling of sympathy and disappointment for Miss Colombia, the runner-up. As I watched the video replay, my heart pounded out of my chest and tears stung my eyes, because the feeling of rejection is all too familiar to the human heart. As a matter of fact, I would venture to say that rejection may be one of our deepest fears as women. 

We want to be chosen. We want to be loved. We want to know we are worthy. But we fear we are just not enough, we don’t make the cut, or we won’t receive “the crown” that proves our worth.