The beauty in ashes.

To bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes,

the oil of joy instead of mourning

and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair (Isa. 61:3)

Beauty, joy, praise…. would you say these words describe some of the core ingredients of your life, as it stands today?  I can recall long seasons of my life where I felt these words were far from me.  There have been times in my life that while I grasped for these qualities, my experience of beauty and joy seemed superficial and fleeting.  I looked at the circumstances around me through a tainted lens of brokenness that told me I wasn’t good enough to receive anything good God might have for me.  My mistakes, my insecurities, my flaws, and my woundedness hung over my memory like a thick fog, keeping me from seeing the beauty of God’s hand at work in each season of my life.  I struggled to see my true identity and worth through the lies I had grown accustomed to believing.

My testimony is that today I experience the beauty and joy I never would have thought was possible.  I have seen so many of my hopes realized.  Although my life is far from perfect, I have more to praise God about than to complain about and I am so grateful.

So, what does it take to find freedom from hopelessness?

We need to be willing to familiarize ourselves with the ashes.  We must be willing to scoop them into our hands and intentionally acknowledge all that they represent.

The broken dreams.

The broken promises.

The pain.

The wounds.

The abuse.

The betrayal.

The broken relationship.

The unmet needs and longings of our heart.

Before we can rebuild from the ashes, we must mourn what burned down.  We must mourn what was lost.  When we invite God to sit with us in the ash heap and we allow our tears to hit the soot, it is from this place that life, beauty, and hope begin to grow.

Acknowledging the ash heaps in our lives comes in many forms.

It can look like…

Choosing to work through past trauma in therapy.

Being real with a friend.

Finally talking about that one thing you have never told anyone before…ever.

Taking responsibility for your part in a broken relationship.

Being aware that you’re messy but choosing to love yourself anyways.

Whatever form it takes for you, dealing with the ashes can be scary.  It is certainly not easy, but it is worth it.  You are worth it.  And while it may be hard to believe, when you choose to walk through the soot, beauty is waiting for you on the other side.