"..To give them beauty for ashes,
The oil of joy for mourning,

The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness;
That they may be called trees of righteousness,
The planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified."

-Isaiah 61:3

It's very hard to believe that out of the ashes comes beauty...

but it's the Truth.

It's really easy for me to be blinded to the goodness of God by my own shortcomings. The longer I walk this journey of life with Him, the more I can see my own weaknesses..my own wounds. And Religion and the pain of my own past tells me to fix my problems; to quickly cover the scars and the dirt so that I may present myself clean and covered before my King.

Because why would a King like Him want a bride like me?

What life has taught me about true Beauty has been a lie.

But the Truth is that He does want a bride like me. In fact, He tells me: "..turn your eyes away from Me, for you have overcome Me."

I overcome God?! Jesus, the Creator of all things and Love incarnate, is overcome by MY heart!?!

That's awesome.

And what's even more awesome is the Truth is the Truth. Nothing can change it. Not even my own disbelief can make the Truth less True! And I can't MAKE it True by the force of my own will...but I can uncover myself before my King and behold Him as He beholds me in my weakness.

That's where real change takes place, right? From glory to glory.