Dear Self,
By: Zenobia Bryant, Ph.D.
My God are you amazing! No, really. You don’t give yourself nearly enough credit! Life has not always been easy for you. You have been dealt some extremely tough blows. But it has not changed who are at the core. While you have every reason to be, you choose not to be bitter with the world. You are still loving and compassionate. You will give your last. You love those in your life extremely hard! Even when misunderstood and overlooked you still find the courage to be unapologetically you! You have perseverance like no other. You possess a quiet strength. You continue to put one foot in front of the other even when the act of moving forward is extreme agony.
You always find a reason to laugh no matter how recently you cried your last tear. People have no clue how often you cry yourself to sleep but still find the strength to get up and face the next day. People don’t know how often you put yourself aside to be present and cultivate a relationship simply because you care. People don’t understand how often you step out of your comfort zone because you desire to learn and grow. My God have you come a long way! Take time to celebrate yourself! You may not get it right all the time and you may make mistakes, but you keep going. You don’t give up and you don’t quit!
You are a joy to be around. You make others laugh until they cry. You are sensitive and can feel the pain of others. It is an intense burden to carry and society has told you that something was wrong with you because you feel so deeply. But you were created like this for a reason! It was divinely orchestrated by God and the world needs you! Although it is extremely hard to navigate life this way, you have an exceptionally special gift. Without you, there would be less love and less compassion. So don’t believe the lie! You are not broken! You are handmade!
And can we talk about your desire and love for God? Others would have walked away by now, but you continue to follow the pull of the Spirit. Your desire to seek and please God is special. Even when it continues to seem like things won’t change you keep going after Him. You say you don’t have the spiritual gift of Faith, but it is Faith that keeps you going back to the alter, to the feet of Jesus. It is Faith that keeps you saying this time things will change. No, this journey has not been easy and your spiritual walk has taken some hits. You have made mistakes and made bad decisions but you are still here and you are still running and you are thriving.
The enemy has tried to tell you that you are broken and nothing but a burden. But honey, that is far from the truth. You embody love. Everything about you is love. To some, it may be too much to handle or receive but that is a reflection of them, not you. Dear self, you are amazingly wonderful! Sometimes, just stop and turn all the love you give out inward, and then just maybe you will see things from a different perspective.
