Layers

So now I'm wondering how many layers of paint have been applied to the walls of my home. From what I know, my house was built before I was born so yes, that leaves quite a few years and a few tenants to apply each of their own touches to interior to make it their own. If we were to peel back the layers of each, could they tell a story or share memories of years past? Peel each layer like an onion and you'd find happiness, sadness, anger, jealousy and love. When a new layer is applied it erases the colors of the past but it doesn't remove them, it's part of the homes story. Much like our life's stories.

One of my favorite movies is Under the Tuscan Sun with Diane Lane. She is going through some hardship in her life at home, a divorce, and while on a tour in Tuscany, she decides to purchase a farm in Italy with the hopes of transforming her life. She renovates this old house, top to bottom, making it her own. During one of the monologues she says something along the line that she's building a relationship room by room. Slowly cleaning the antiques left behind and repairing the many things in disrepair left by neglect and aging. It's a metaphor for how she's learning who she is again, slowly removing the old things of her past and repairing her heart hurt. I think that we spend a lot of time trying to cover our past, hide our insecurities all the while we have a God who has made a way for us to not be ashamed of what we may have done OR what may have been done to us. It's our layers.

For the last couple of years towards the end of each year I pray for God to give me a word to lean on, one word that during times of struggles or times of celebrations the word would draw me nearer to Him. Two years ago my word was TRUST, I trust everyone from the beginning, it's theirs to lose if they choose. I was challenged to trust God more in making the decisions, trust Him more with being my one and only. Last year my word was HOPE. I needed to have hope, hope that my dreams would come true. Hope that I'm becoming the person God wants me to be and hope for my future. While praying for this year, He gave me my word early, I knew my word for 2018 at the beginning of December and  it's...BRAVE. I know deep down have to be brave this year. I must be brave in following through with my bold faith move He's given me the privilege of. 

I'm not sure if it was coincidental that in church today the message included that you have to find your word but I know I have mine. Each of these words in the past years have built layers for me in my life. Learning to trust when others have broken it, being hopeful when it didn't seem that things would work out and now to be brave. Brave when the unknown is around the corner. Be proud of your layers because they're what made you who you are today and search for your word and remember that when all is said and done, the God who created the Heavens, created you and He intimately knows each of your layers, and LOVES you beyond compare.