Flip Side Of The Coin

A gift from my niece that I have hanging in my office.

While I was getting dressed yesterday, ready for my hair appointment that will take the gray away, I started thinking about how we see ourselves.  I am not talking about the outer self but how we see ourselves as a whole.  

Most of us look at ourselves everyday in the mirror. We see our outward flaws, our imperfections or you may see your outward beauty, your complexion perfection.  But when you think about yourself beyond what is visible, in the hidden parts of your heart and soul, what do you see?

Only you and God know, truly know all your thoughts and desires.  Only you and God know all the hidden hurts, shame, sin...etc.  

This is what I started writing down in the few seconds I had yesterday morning and kept writing down this morning.

We are not our sin

We are not our pain

We are not our short comings

We are not our habits

We are not our mistakes

We are not our insecurities

We are not our shame

We are not our want

We are not our need

We are not our shattered dream

We are not our past

We are not our curse

We are not our hurts

We are not discarded

We are not forgotten

We are not alone

In turn there has to be a flip side to this coin of who we are not, telling us who we are.  

We are forgiven

We are healed

We are complete

We are renewed

We are rich

We are strong

We are the future

We are a promise

We are full

We are restored

We are beautiful

We are joy

We are fearless

We are loved

We are BRAVE

How do we flip the coin from focusing on who we think we are to who God says we are?  How do we train our minds to think this way?  We have to fill it with the good and starve the bad.  

Philippians 4:8The Message (MSG)

8-9 Summing it all up, friends, 

I’d say you’ll do best by filling your minds 

and meditating on things 

true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, 

gracious

—the best, not the worst; 

the beautiful, not the ugly; 

things to praise, not things to curse. 

Put into practice what you learned from me, 

what you heard and saw and realized. 

Do that, and God, 

who makes everything work together, 

will work you into his most excellent harmonies.

Henry was saying KACK KACK KACK
(quack quack quack)