In the morning of Wednesday, I had a really great God time. Since i had felt so strange the night before and really felt it was spiritual oppression, I prayed against spiritual oppression. At breakfast, Rudy urged us to keep going and to not give into the temptations to get angry with one another and to be frustrated because this is not of The Lord. It turns out that everyone was feeling this oppression.
Then, we went to the market to do some shopping. It was tons of fun! I believe that Anthony said it was the first or second largest market on the Mediterranean which is pretty cool. After going to the market, we got kababs at this shop just down the street from Il Refugio. It was so nice to finally have meat!
We went right from there to our team meeting which was a really great time. Everyone was feeling the same thing with oppression. I felt a lot better about every thing. Anthony talked about how satan is like a lion and tries to get us alone and away from community. I totally felt that yesterday. All I wanted to do was not be around the group and be in solitude. Satan, like a lion. Looks to get those who are weak away from the group so that he can attack. It's his tactic. Thankfully The Lord protected me and used the prayer times we have daily to prevent this from happening.
Go English clubs on this day, we went on a tour of the city. At each point, someone from our group shared a short testimony of their life with Christ. Many were very powerful and corresponded with the statue or building we were looking at. Mine was at the statue of Adam and Eve, made unique. My talk said this:
"Even though I believed in Jesus. at the age of about 8. it was not an instant transformation. God has been continually refining. and transforming my heart. to show me that the things of this world. are fleeting. but the things of God. are eternal.
I used to value physical beauty a lot. I thought that if only I could be beautiful. then maybe I would have friends. maybe people would like me. and maybe I would be successful in life. I would cry. because I did not think. I was beautiful enough. I would think to myself. if only you were beautiful. then you would be well-liked. I had a wrong view of God's creation. I thought God had made a mistake. in how He made me.and I failed to see. that beauty comes from inside. rather than from the outside. My mind began to change. when I was reading the Bible. and I read a passage in Psalms 139: 14 that says, "I am thoughtfully. and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works. my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from you. when I was being made in secret. every detail. in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed substance. in your book were written. everyone one of them. the days that were formed for me. when as yet there was none of them.
I realized that God. had not made a mistake. He had known me. and every day of my life. before I was conceived. I felt God say to me. stop hating my creation. I have made you beautiful and unique.
In Proverbs 31:30-31 it says that Charm is deceitful. and beauty is vain. but a woman who honors the Lord. is to be praised. Because God taught me this lesson. I now view beauty from the inside out. knowing that physical beauty will not stay. it will pass away. but the beauty that comes from within. from honoring the Lord and following after Him. is the true beauty. that all will see. and cannot ignore."
Damiano (with Luigia's help) translated into Italian for me! He did so well!
It was really beautiful when people came up to me after and said they could relate with my story. I just hope that my story touched their lives
After the last site Matilde, Candice, and I went to get pizza for dinner. I got a pizza with bufala mozzarella which is a creamier mozzarella cheese. It was delicious! Even better was out conversations and getting to know Matilde more. She is a really wonderful girl.
After dinner, Candice and I just prayed that The Lord would be working in people's lives and that seeds that were planted this week would begin to grow.
This is Shane. It's encouraging to me to see how you prayed against spiritual warfare! I've had that happen in prayer teams before-where everyone gets hit with the same spiritual oppression. Praise God you guys recognized and fought against it.
ReplyDeleteI like the story you shared as well. A friend and I were recently discussing how the beauty industry has sold us the idea that there is a single template for attractiveness. By convincing consumers that being attractive means being a certain shape and size, the beauty industry has been able to make millions. This is because many people do not fit into this mold and yet they are persuaded that in order to be beautiful they must. Also, little allowance is made for variation. The industry refuses to see the truth that beauty truly is in the eye of the beholder.
I'm glad to hear that you had an epiphany reading Psalm 139 and were able to see yourself as God sees you. I know many unsaved women who seem to chase after physical beauty and affirmation, yet under all of the cosmetics don't have character. Your realization that a person's character is more important than their external attractiveness shows wisdom beyond your years.
Favorite line: "The beauty that comes from within, from honoring the Lord and following after Him, is the true beauty that all will see and cannot ignore."
Thanks for sharing your thoughts via this blog, sister. I am so excited to hear about the opportunities you will have through being a staff member with Cornerstone! I can't wait to hear all of your awesome stories as you grow in leadership and influence. God bless.
-Shane