Let's Celebrate!!! Part 2

Last week I shared a bit about my past and how I struggled to see myself. How was I wired? Was I seeing myself the way God saw me? I also shared the important role forgiveness has played in my life and how forgiveness was something I chose to celebrate. I shared a glimpse of how I perceived myself before and after learning how to forgive others. Especially those I felt had inflicted deep scars. Not only scars on my physical body that others could see; but scars in my mind and heart that changed how I perceived the world around me and how I saw myself fitting into it. How it connects me to this statement,

“Our BELIEFS create our EXPERIENCES

Our EXPERIENCES confirm our BELIEFS”

I will talk more about this statement in future blogs.

There have been many miracles, blessings and life lessons God has bestowed upon me as I navigated the ups and downs, mountaintop and valley experiences of life. Today I would like to share with you one of my latest mountaintop experiences. As you know I’m stepping into a new season of my life and these are some of the birthing pains or beginning steps of my business.

Now let’s step forward into the present moment…….the creation of my logo.

I began working with a beautiful and talented young woman to build my business logo, cards, and website.. As I was frustrated and struggling with technology and not knowing where to begin this process, God stepped her into my life with her amazing talents and kindness. Together we began to take the vision I believe God gave me for my business and with his divine alignment the pieces began to fall into place. We started with creating my logo. These are the pieces that I gave her. I wanted a silhouette of a woman, a cross, a butterfly, and the colours of the rainbow. The picture above is one of the two beautiful pictures she created. I loved and wanted them both and struggled to pick just one. Finally I decided to sit at the feet of Jesus and ask him to show me which was the one I should choose and why. As I sat silently waiting for his guidance I seemed to be drawn more to this one. If you reflect back with me to details of last weeks post you will understand how I choose this one. I’ll give you a hint, it was all the things God had already done in my life. As I sat gazing at this picture it’s message and meaning unfolded within my mind and my heart.

I want you to begin by looking at the cross around her neck. This is where I believe I began to live again. As I struggled to believe that Jesus truly loved me unconditionally (that his love wasn’t based on whether I was good or bad, and I couldn’t earn it by the things that I did or didn’t do) I reach out from a heart that was so shattered by all of what I had experienced in life so far. When I surrendered and said “your will not mine Lord” life began to change and the clouds of darkness that hung so heavily over me began to part and a faint light seemed to struggle to make itself known in my life. At the time I didn’t know it but that light…. It was the light of Gods love.

Now let’s move our focus to her face and her hair. I want you to notice the contrast between them (light and darkness). Are you seeing what I’m seeing? When I gave up trying to make things happen in my life the way I saw and wanted them to go and let Jesus take the wheel of my life; his light and love began trickling into my whole being mind,body, and spirit. This light and love then began pushing out the darkness that I was drowning in replacing it with a sense of calm and peace.

“Purify me from my sins, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.” Psalm 51:7 NLT

Remember this verse from my last blog😉

Now let’s move onto the butterflies. First, all the little black ones do you notice the direction they are fluttering in? Yes! Away from her; away from her head, away from her mind. For me these tiny critters represented all the negative thoughts that were swirling around in my mind. They also were a definition of all of the fears I allowed to overwhelm me and cause me to freeze and isolate myself not only from those I loved but the world around me and most importantly……God and his infinite wisdom, guidance, and love.

On to the big beautiful butterfly. But how did we or do we get from all the black (fluttering around in chaos, confusion, and fear) ones to this magnificent one? The answer for me at first was not simple but as I surrendered my mind, will, and emotions to Jesus my vision became much clearer. He began taking the pieces of my broken, battered, and shattered life (the black butterflies) placing them in alignment, one by one, as they were meant to be; thus the beautiful butterfly emerges. ( do you see the analogy of the jigsaw puzzle I spoke about in last weeks blog?)

The beauty I want you to see within this beautiful creature is represented in its colors. The colors of the rainbow! For me in my childhood years I could not believe or trust in anything I saw, heard, or was promised because all I saw and felt was brokenness: broken promises, relationships, and lives all around me. Trust was not something I knew and definitely didn’t feel. Safety and a sense of security nonexistent within my world. In Sunday school I learned the story about the life and love of Jesus but to me it was just that…….a story. I had no proof that it was real. You see life so far had handed me (like I said above) broken promises and what I felt was lies instead of truths. How could I believe or know in my heart that Jesus loved me when I couldn’t see the evidence of it. And I know that many of you will relate to what I say next:

“if God is so good and Jesus loves me so much how could he allow me to suffer such excruciating pain verbally, emotionally, and physically!” ( this is a statement we will explore in future blogs as well)

This is where the story of the rainbow enters my life in a powerful way. It’s not just a story there is evidence to back it up. I can see it! Let me explain why this is so important. As a small child this was the only stability I had. I couldn’t trust in people, places, or things to always be there for me, but the rainbow always shone brightly after every rain. It was a promise I could count on and stand firmly on. But more importantly than that it was the thread that kept me connected to my creator God; kept me believing that Jesus loved me and he would one day make all things right and new.

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: the old has gone, the new is here!

2 Corinthians 5:17 NIV

And even though I thought he had made a mistake when knitting me together in my mother’s womb and I believed I came out a misfit it was still a tangible connection that I couldn’t deny. It took me many years to see the beauty of this butterfly he had created in me. And at times when I slip back into those old ways of being and thinking…..I have to remind myself that I’m only human and life will always have ups and downs to navigate. But how I face them now is totally different. Instead of running from God, I run to him and fall into his loving embrace.

And finally, last but not least, I want you to see in Gods hand the paintbrush with which he created color all around us and within us. There are no mistakes in his creation and you and I are a part of that. He has created us with a divine purpose and plan.

So let me summarize my logo:

For me it all began at the cross. When I allowed Jesus to take control he cleansed me and the light of his love began pushing out the darkness surrounding me. My face began to brighten as the engrained negative thought patterns and fears were…one by one…replaced with positive affirmations that seeped through all of my being…..mind, body, and spirit. What emerged from the darkness and fears holding me captive was the beauty he saw in me long ago as he knit me together in my mothers womb. A place secluded and safe from the outside world that awaited my arrival.

So why is this logo so important to me; because it tells my story! A story I never shared with this amazing woman who created this logo! But somehow we are divinely aligned. Remember I only gave her four pieces; a silhouette of a woman, a cross, a butterfly, and the colours of the rainbow. God took the things that were important to me in my heart and drew them beautifully through her hand and talent. So today I celebrate the power of God to align each of our hearts as we work together to share life, light, and love.

I believe this logo not only tells my story, it also tells the story of many of your lives. Or maybe you’re still searching from a heart that feels dark, sad, or lost. I would love to walk beside you as you embark on a journey of self-discovery, love, and releasing your beauty to fly as you step into the vision that you hold for your future self. Let’s celebrate every victory together along the way.

I believe with all my heart Jesus is eagerly waiting to create in you your beautiful butterfly just as he has done for me……..you only need to reach out and ask him!

Let’s do it together!

Have an awesome week!

God Bless

Donna😊