Mended Through my Father

Here's the story of what prompted this blog post.

Now for the fun part!!

We want to know how God has mended you from a previous place of brokenness or a place of brokenness for which you are currently praying for mending. Let’s encourage one another by sharing our stories so we know that we aren’t alone. And, in celebration of Angie’s new release, Mended B&H Publishing is going to give one of you who shares your story a day at a spa near you for you and a friend! Get a facial, pedicure, manicure, massage . . . the whole works! Here are the details on how you can share your story and be entered to win:

1. If you have a blog, write a post reflecting either on an area in which you have been mended or a place of brokenness for which you are seeking to be mended. Include the following text in your post an explanation that this is in celebration of Mending releasing and specify that “it can be purchased here or here.”
2. If you don’t have a blog or prefer to share via video, record a video sharing your story of brokenness/being mended and upload it to youtube. In the description explain that this is in celebration of Mending releasing and specify that “it can be purchased here or here.
3. Then, come back to Angie’s blog and add the link to where you’ve posted on your blog or youtube to the linky on this post. Each person who adds their link will be entered into the drawing to be selected at random. And . . . you may be able to be entered more than once! Each post/video will be checked by the publisher at the conclusion of the contest and for every 25 “likes” (Facebook) or tweets of your post by your readers, your name will be entered again! The more your friends respond, the more entries you receive!
4. All submissions must be posted by 12:01AM on September 11. A name will be drawn and the winning post will be posted on Angie’s blog on September 13 as a way to announce the winner.

Here's Angie's (I LOVE her!!) story.

Here's my story.
Broken, yep, for sure.  I spent several years in a shattered state and I was quite clueless about it.
34 years ago two high school teenagers were dealt a circumstance that forever altered their lives.  A teenage pregnancy.  As a junior and a senior this young man and young woman had not really any kind of clue what life was really about.  They were quickly learning, very quickly.  In February the wed, at the prompting of their parents - it was the "right thing" to do at the time.  In May their baby girl was born.  An infant borne to two near children themselves.  There were times of struggle and trials and there were times of joy and celebration as well.
I was the child born to these two.  There were times that I felt very much the pain of being the "thing" that kept them from living their dreams.  I was the obstacle that stood in the way of their freedom.  I eventually had a brother and the two of us have experienced the love of family but we have also felt the pain of family.  Our parents did what they could and we are the result of those years.  I look back through the years and we had good times, we did.  The good times tend to be in the shadows of everything else that has happened though and easily forgotten.
I still carry these scars as my self esteem, worth, concept were extremely low for years.  I never measured up.  I was an inconvenience, a frustration and even a hindrance.  I rarely did something right and was more often in the way than a help.  I wasn't smart enough, hard working enough, good enough, anything enough.
My husband has been dealing with the repercussions of those first 20 years for the last 12.  My children also deal with them as well.  I know that things are better though.  Simply because my Father, the best Daddy ever loves me.  He loves me so much that He knew all of these things, knew what all of my days would hold and has always been there for me.
In the last 12 years He has spent endless hours mending all those broken places.  The scars are still there, will always be there but those are how I have the compassion, empathy and ability to love others through their pain and I wouldn't trade them in for anything.
He has brought me here where I can capture the thoughts in my head, share them, pray over them and use them in ways that I can only dream of.  He has brought me to communities like incourage.me, Women of Faith, Inspired to Action and so many others so that I know I'm not alone.  He has given me "friends" like Angie Smith, Holley Gerth, and hundreds of others that I'll probably never meet but are my soul sisters, because God loves us all and we're all His children.
I have these days where everything falls apart around me.  I fall into the mire that life sometimes is and get bogged down by the sticky mud of life, only to sit and cry in the mess around me.  It is in those moments that I can rejoice.  I can rejoice because God's got it all.  I don't have to struggle on in this life, stumbling along and tripping over everything.  I can reach out for the hand He is offering and I can feel His love because I am His.

I can do anything through Him who gives me strength. Philippians 4:13
Imagine it, anything.  I can be an amazing daughter, granddaughter, sister, wife, mother, friend - I can do anything and I can do it well (amazing, beautifully and lovingly) because HE will give me the strength, tools and guidance to do it.
I am not what I once was because He has mended me and is making me into something beautiful.  He has always been working in my life, I know that now.  I will never, ever, doubt it again!!

Thanks, Angie.  This was a great opportunity because I have been getting mired in the muck and forgetting just how loved I am.  You are such a wonderful blessing!!

LuvNHugz~SupportNPrayerz to All of my God-Family!!
Deo Volente - NMV