Dear friends,
The day is still fairly young, yet already I’ve received several reminders of the pain people experience in various forms–loss, grief, shame, abuse, betrayal, abandonment, poverty . . . Hopelessness and despair are horrible to endure. I’ve known them myself, and many of you feel them right now.
I want to remind you of something important, which I hope you’ll keep in mind. It is this: There’s much more to you than just your problems. You are a complete person. It’s so easy to lose track of that when we’re in the midst of struggle. We come to feel like our baggage defines us. But you are not your baggage; you are a person who has interests, talents, giftedness, an intellect, a tender heart, a unique personality, a sense of humor, the ability to be a great friend and encourager, life experiences in which reside a richness you may not presently realize. You are so, so much more and so much better than just your struggle. You are someone beloved of God, and there is great dignity in that.
Maybe right now you feel like just a mess, but that doesn’t detract from the truth. The voices, the tapes, the emotions that tell you you’re less-than, not good enough, just a pile of problems–those are a lie. A lie. You are a whole person. Yes, you have problems–but you are not your problems.
Pearls hid inside a rough wooden box don’t cease to be pearls because of their circumstances; they don’t lose their worth or value. They are not the box–nor are you. You are “a pearl of great price.” Right now, maybe the box that surrounds you is so dark inside that you can’t see your luster, can’t remember how you shine. I know how it is–I too need to be reminded, when I’m in pain, that while my pain is real and needs to be acknowledged, there is so much more to me than that.
So these words come from my heart. If you have forgotten who you are, I hope this will help you remember.