Whitnee's journey with Christ

Growing up I’ll admit I didn’t have the highest self esteem. I often thought I was ugly and “too black” to ever be looked at as a “pretty girl.” You see back in the day many people didn’t flaunt the anthem “blacker the berry, sweeter the juice” it was all about the “light brights, yellow bones, red bones, and light caramel” complexions.

I had it so bad at one point I use to use bleach cream. At first it was for one particular area but when I saw how good it worked I started applying it to my face. I admit “I had issues.” But what teenager didn’t? I mean am I the only one who thought I was ugly?

Now if someone calls me ugly I say THANK YOU! I say thank you because I know I am:

• Unique
• Gifted
• Loved
• Yare

See I figured out I didn’t need nobody to validate who I am. I know I’m beautiful and it didn’t take a needle in my arm, a butt shot, or a no good man to tell me so. God said I am beautifully and wonderfully made. I was made in His son’s image so how could I be anything other than a masterpiece.

There are still so many in the world young, old, and in between that look at man for validation. They don’t know just how beautiful they are. They are radiant, yielding, attractive, smart, handsome, charming, funny, witty, and so much more because GOD MADE THEM.

No longer should we look for another human to tell us who we are who who we “ain’t.” No longer should we cry at night because we don’t feel loved by man. No longer should we hide our face, our gap, our “imperfections” just because our body shape, skin tone, or hairstyle isn’t plastered on television or on the front of a magazine. No longer should we believe we are a nobody just because no one told us they love us today.

We are daring, we are gorgeous, we are BOLD!

For you yourselves know, brethren, that our coming to you was not in vain. 
But even after we had suffered before and were spitefully treated at Phillipi, as you know, we were bold in our God to speak to you the gospel of God in much conflict.
1 Thessalonians 2:1-2

The enemy wants you to feel like you are less than but you tell him to shut his filthy face because you are GLORIOUS and YOU ARE WALKING IN GOD’S VICTORY!

I didn’t find my beauty until I started feeding on the Word. Yes Rico told me I was beautiful. Yes my mom and daddy called me their little princess. Deacon Clark called me “little piglet” and Uncle George called me “boo boo” but called called me BEAUTIFUL! GOD TOLD ME I AM HIS CHILD! I am His and He is mine!

When we take away TikTok, YouTube, Snapchat, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc. and replace it with the encouragement the Bible provides we won’t have to see 13 year old girls getting trains ran on them to know they are loved; we won’t have little boys being molested by grown women to know they are “the man”; we will put the pimps out of business because no longer will women be classified as whore, fluzzy, b#%@h, tramp, “thot”, foot dragging, and all the other derogatory names people allow themselves to be called.

This morning God placed it on my heart to encourage you to find your boldness in the Lord. Sure you might get labeled by man as fat, skinny, short, tall, white, black, Mexican, Chinese, Asian, girl, boy; but whose opinion matters? Man or God? The power of the Holy Spirit will allow you to stand tall and bold and fight against the conflicts of you may face.

So the next time your child, a youth you know, your friend, neighbor, or someone you knows says “so and so just called me ugly” tell them to come up with their acronym for UGLY like I did above (unique, gifted, loved, and yaring).

I am:

When you get a chance look at The Beatitudes in Matthew 5:3-10. Be blessed my sisters and brothers.

Now you tell them to go sit their tails down and validate that!