Throughout debrief, God taught me a lot about my identity. And He told me that He wants me to fully understand what this means – that I’m beautiful because He created me and lives in me. In order to do so, He told me that He wants me to go a month without wearing any makeup, which is kind of a big deal for me. You see, I never leave my house without my eyeliner, mascara, and foundation on my face. It’s become a security blanket for me, and I feel very exposed without it.
I was still considering all of this on our last day of debrief when all the girls had a meeting time with our squad mom. During this time, one of the girls shared that she had been struggling with comparing herself to the other girls on our squad and felt it necessary to wear makeup as a result. So God told her not to wear any makeup at debrief, and then He told her at debrief not to wear makeup at all in Swaziland. She invited all of us girls to participate in this challenge with her this month, and I knew that God was using her as my final push. All together, about 10 girls on our squad committed to going makeup-free this month.
So here I am, in Swaziland, with a bare and makeup-free face. I know God has and is teaching me a lot this month, especially about my identity. I’m out of my comfort zone, which is exactly where He wants me so that He can mold me into who He wants me to be. Just from the past week or so of going without makeup, I feel free in a whole new way. I don’t have to cover up who I am anymore. I’m accepted and loved. I’m beautiful. And I’m the King’s beloved daughter, who’s learning to walk in His freedom.
