If you grew up watching Veggie Tales the title of this post might seem familiar… That’s right, I’m 24 years old, sitting in a house in Macedonia with 5 other women and we just watched an episode of Veggie Tales.
We have this thing on the race called “team time” and it’s essentially a time at the end of the day, after ministry and all other business has been handled where we have some fun as a team; each day is assigned to a different person on the team and so each day we get to step into our teammate’s world and see what they do for fun, tonight Kayla decided to show an episode of Veggie Tales. As soon as she told us this is what we were doing I thought, “Yes, I can shut my brain off, watch some mindless TV and start winding down for bed.” Boy, was I wrong, an hour and a half later I’m wide awake and writing this blog.
For those of you who don’t have 15 minutes to watch the episode I put at the start of this blog I’ll try and sum it up as best I can (I highly advise you watch the clip over my synopsis though- you’ll get much more from it than you think, I promise):
A little snoodle is “born” and as he starts to discover his talents he is told by a bunch of older and bigger snoodles that he isn’t worthy and is no good at the things he finds desirable, these bigger snoodles paint him pictures of how they see him and put them one by one in his backpack which winds up weighing him down; he decides to leave the town because he feels like he doesn’t belong and he ventures off to the mountain top to live with the birds, once there he hears a voice from a much larger snoodle, while there with the much larger snoodle (God), he learns that how others view him isn’t important because he was made in the image of this great Snoodle; aka our wonderful Heavenly Father, and the gifts he was given weren’t made to please the other snoodles, but were meant to please God instead. Then he goes back to Snoodleburg and shares this wonderful story with all the other snoodles and they all learn their gifts are for a greater good and flourish immensely from this!
Ya’ll, I’ve never gotten teary eyed while watching a cartoon but tonight that changed. Since coming on the race I’ve wrestled ALOT with my self-image and my self-worth. Throughout my life I’ve had a bunch of pictures of myself shoved at me and put in my “backpack” from people who didn’t deserve the right to give me these images.
I’ve been told I’m unworthy, that no-one will ever love me, I’m not good enough, there will always be someone better than me, I’m not enough, I’m too much, and everything in between and quite frankly I’m sick of allowing these lies to have a hold over my life and how I perceive myself. I choose to no longer believe the words that others have spoken to me over the words that the Father has said about me, and it only took me watching a cartoon show for this to really sink in, haha. Allowing what others have said about me to dictate my life is allowing the lies of the Enemy to rule instead of the truths from our Heavenly Father- and I’m done allowing these things to rule my thoughts.
God has told me time and time again that I am worthy since I started my journey on the race; He gave me a violin in Serbia because He knew how much I was missing mine at home; when our entire squad got re-routed for a month to work with the refugees in Greece, because He knew how much I cared for them after the short time I got to work with them in Serbia-he did that for ME. The incredible sunsets I’ve been able to witness on the race so far, He knows they hold a dear spot in my heart and remind me of my Mom and Sister back home, every single one of those sunsets so far has been for ME. Allowing me to meet people along the race who spark my thought process and allow me to have deep intellectual conversations in the strangest of places, He did that for ME. Giving us a heater in our current house (if you know me personally, you know how cold I always am), He did that for ME. None of these things had to happen, and I could choose to ignore the great gifts He has given ME so far and write them off as something He was giving someone else, but I fully believe He did those things for me. No matter how small the gifts may seem, He loves me enough to choose to give me the things that make me come alive and in that I can know that I am worthy and I am loved and I am enough.
If you only get one thing from this blog please let this be it: Please stop listening to the lies of the world. Stop believing what your “friends” say about you, stop listening to what your boss says, how you acted in the past or what your parents may have said. Ignore whoever it is that is beating you down and turn to the Father and ask him how he sees you and what He thinks of you. I promise you, you’ll be pleasantly surprised by what he tells you. We are all made for a specific purpose, the trials we’ve been through haven’t be in vain, but for His glory and to help lead people to him. He created me loud and bold so I could call attention to Him in that and He made some of you quiet and reserved to reach those I may not be able to. We are all enough because He made us in His imagine and it doesn’t get any better than that.
In order to combat the lies the Enemy told me and the lies I believed from peers , I needed truths to fight them off. Here are some verses that have helped me on days the lies start to creep in again, now I’m able to say confidently that they are lies and here is what my Heavenly Father says about me instead:
When I’m not feeling pretty-
“Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes. Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.” 1 Peter 3:3-4
“So God created mankind in his own imagine, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.” Genesis 1:27
When I’m not feeling bold or I’m scared-
“The wicked flee though no one pursues, but the righteous are as bold as a lion.” Proverbs 28:1
“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9
When I’m feeling anxious/stressed-
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7
“Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today… The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.” Exodus 14:13-14
When I’m feeling unworthy-
“For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful. I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.” Psalm 139: 13-16
“”For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you,” declares the Lord” Jeremiah 29:11-14
When I think no-one will ever love me or my friends would choose others over me-
“There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. We love because he first loved us.” 1 John 4:18-19
“Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.” 1 John 4:8
“…Your love is more delightful than wine.” Song of Solomon 1:2 (you all know I love my wine)
When I’m sad-
“I prayed to the Lord, and he answered me. He freed me from all my fears.Those who look to him for help will be radiant with joy; no shadow of shame will darken their faces. In my desperation I prayed, and the Lord listened; he saved me from all my troubles. For the angel of the Lord is a guard; he surrounds and defends all who fear him.” Psalm 34:4-7
These are just a few of the verses that have helped me fight off the lies I’ve been told, I hope they can help you as well.
Love you all!
