Beauty Rises Again

From Brokenness to New Beginnings

De: Whitney Sparks

Narrado por: Virtual Voice

Every minute of the day, you attempt to survive in a world consumed with loss, heartache, natural disasters, war, abuse, trafficking, hopelessness, and fear. Depression and anxiety make it difficult for you to find the strength to climb out of bed each morning. You want to press on and move forward, but shame and regret keep you chained to your past.

But then, you meet a man named Jesus. Through Him, you discover joy unimaginable and your life is transformed. You realize your past does not define you; Jesus does. You glance in the mirror and notice a chain is gone. Jesus’ unconditional love for you broke it. Another chain falls to the floor because He forgave you.

One by one, His strength slowly breaks the chains of bondage and heals you from the inside out. You begin to grow in your spiritual walk and others see Jesus living in you. Then beauty rises again as you heal from the inside out and your brokenness becomes an opportunity for a new beginning.

When Love Fails, God's Love Prevails (short excerpt)

This story caused me to envision a Hallmark movie. I can see it now.

Jacob traveled far and wide in search of a Christmas tree farm where he would help chop down trees for the holiday season. Rachel, who had a “lovely figure and was beautiful,” was dressed in a white coat with tall brown boots. Her long brown hair swooshed in the wintry air. She stumbled upon a rugged-looking Jacob as she searched for the perfect five-foot tree to fill her house with glee (Gen. 29:17 NIV).

Dad, also known as Laban, hopped out of the truck to search for Rachel, wondering why she was taking so long at the tree farm. Laban finally located Rachel. After introductions from both parties, Laban realized Jacob was his nephew. Go figure! They all drove to Laban’s log cabin to make a big batch of gingerbread cookies.

Rachel and Jacob locked eyes while sipping hot cocoa by the fireplace. Suddenly, another girl entered the scene. This girl had long blonde hair and “delicate eyes” (Gen. 29:17). She was not just any girl. She was Rachel’s older sister, and even though she found Jacob to be a little too rugged for her taste, Laban thought Leah and Jacob were a match made in Heaven.

Jacob’s muscular build and rugged look helped Laban find the perfect job for him. Jacob would work the land outside Laban’s log cabin, chopping firewood while wearing a black and red plaid shirt, shepherding the sheep, and running errands while driving a 1935 Ford Model 50.

Everything was dandy until Laban asked what Jacob wanted in exchange for working the land. Jacob made his love for Rachel known by telling Laban, “I will serve you seven years for Rachel, your younger daughter” (Gen. 29:18).

Jacob kept his word and worked on Laban’s land for seven years, but to Jacob, “[T]hey seemed only a few days to him because of the love he had for her” (Gen. 29:20). How sweet.

But trouble was brewing on the home front. Laban gave his oldest daughter, Leah, to Jacob as his wife, instead of Rachel. To acquire his first love, Rachel, as his wife, Jacob would have to stay with Laban and work another seven years (Gen. 29:21-27).

Can you imagine how unloved Leah must have felt? Here she was, handed off like property to a man who loved her sister more than her.

Have you ever been overlooked for a job promotion because another co-worker was more intelligent, prettier, or talked a big game? Maybe you felt unloved as a child because your sibling was perfect and you were considered average, mediocre, not good enough, or a little weird.

Thankfully, when we feel unloved by the world, we can be assured that we serve a God whose love for us remains constant and unwavering. Do you remember how Sarai’s maidservant referred to the Almighty as “[T]he God who sees me” in Genesis 16:13? God saw the pain of His children in the Old Testament the same way He sees our pain today.