More Than Pretty – Erica CampbellSample

Day 2: The Messy Past

For some women, their messy past makes them think they’re not beautiful. Trust me; I know what it’s like to live through ugly, shameful stuff. I know what it’s like to have to overcome hardship. My story has its share of dark corners. The smile I wear and the confidence I have is not because I’ve never experienced anything bad. I’m not going to tell you about anything I didn’t have to live through first.

Here’s the thing to remember: We always have a choice in how we see our circumstances, and in how we live. The bad things that happen and the negative things that we hear don’t have to control how we live or even how we see ourselves. They don’t have to keep you from becoming everything God wants you to be.

Some parts of our messy story are our fault, and we must surrender them to the Father, who is an expert at handling it all. He already knew your habits and tendencies. Even when we lie to ourselves, the Father knows who we are, but there is no need to carry guilt and shame.

God—our gracious, loving, and forgiving Father—can use the broken pieces of your life and turn it into a beautiful story! There were many broken women in scripture that are famous for how God transformed their lives and used their story for His Glory. Surrender your past to the Father. Our Redeemer can handle it.