Bad as you wanna be

I just wanted to share some insights from this week that encouraged and lifted my spirits. I hope it does the same for you. While out shopping, I wore a simple black dress with a message emblazoned upon the front in white script: Queen. A woman who was walking down the street with her family stopped to remark: “I love your dress!” The exclamation startled me for my mind was far away, ruminating on terrible, awful things.

It was a blue day for me. I was losing the battle of the bulge, again. I’d found the pandemic weight I’d worked so hard to lose and it seemed to settle right across my middle. Normally I subscribe to the Shenaenae (from Martin) school of beauty: Keep it cute in the face and thin in the waist. But today I felt frumpy in my straight dress with its side split, even with the uplifting declaration. (IKR? Sounds totally cute.) I should have felt amazing, but my stomach wouldn’t cooperate, protruding in an unsightly manner which made for a less-than-flattering reminder each time I passed a mirror or darkened window. I felt, well, fat. When the woman broke into my dark thoughts, she reminded me, just for a moment, of how others view me. And how God sees me. Just in case I didn’t get the message (I hadn’t, for no sooner than I was out of the parking lot, I’d return to my depressing mental cage), it happened again.

“I love your dress,” said another random woman. Translation: Beautiful dress, beautiful you. It was then, that I finally received what God was trying to tell me. Even on a bad day, I’m still pretty awesome. He knows this because he knows what he instilled in me. The good news is, you are, too. We all have that innate spark within us, automatically making us capable of greatness. And, as I told my daughter during her teenage years, you are more than what you weigh. There are worse things in this world you could be besides fat. Being overweight has not been the worst of my sins, unfortunately.

So, with my head and mood lifted, I continued my day and no longer felt like a failure. I reminded myself of all I’ve been able to accomplish and just some of the things I’ve overcome lately. But I didn’t need to travel too far down memory lane to see myself more clearly. Those memories were enough to restore my crown. I was enough. And so are you. Make up your mind today, that no matter your present circumstance, or the pressures you are facing, you are enough. Straighten your crown and walk like royalty. We are rocking this.

Be blessed,

Loria

P.S. The Kindle version of Pale Rider is live. Be sure to download your copy on Amazon. If you’re a fan of Bible stories, you’ll love this tale. Also, I’m still partnering with Story Origin to get the word out about more indie authors like myself. This week I’m sharing the works of author Sherif Guirguis. Check out book two of the Agartha Chronicles, Red Soul.

And, if you haven’t seen the latest action trailer for Pale Rider, you can watch it on YouTube. I loved putting this together and I hope you enjoy this as much as I do.

Have a great, fun-filled, fourth of July weekend. Be safe.