"Parentheses"

A few weeks ago I noticed my first wrinkle.

My laugh lines or better known as "parentheses". In a panic that 30 hasn't been kind to me I raced to my trusty ole pal google like a woman going after chocolate during "shark week". "BEST WRINKLE CREAM!"
READYSETGO

I must have fished through thousands of products and finally settled on one....okay two. They arrived a few days later and I was excited to get rid of these lines on my face! BYE BYE wrinkles. Hello smooth youthful skin.

Just kidding...this is actually kinda scary hahaha

I have been using the product (not religiously but I do when I remember, I'm horrible with routines haha) Well last night as I got out of the bath I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror. Fully natural. No eyebrows (haha) no makeup....just me. Just the way God made me & I was taken back.

I immediately started to beat myself up over the laugh lines, dropping eyelids, acne, acne scars, uneven skin tone...the list goes on. I could feel my self esteem being sucked out of me. It was like every word I spoke took away a beautiful part of me. I had to shake myself out of it so I began telling myself why I am beautiful and Who I belong to.

As I made my way to those parenthesis around my mouth I was reminded of this last year. The ups, the downs and quite frankly I was surprised they weren't frown lines. Then it hit me!
Laugh lines..
That means I laughed...
and I smiled enough this last year for it to imprint on my face....
Maybe this last year brought more joy than we think. We may have lost a lot this last year and seen a lot of pain but those laugh lines say that this last year has brought me more laughter than tears, more smiles than frowns and more joy than sadness....
As I looked at myself, but this time through the eyes of Jesus I saw a mom. Inside of those parentheses is a mouth that kissed foreheads, boo boos, laughed at jokes, smiled at accomplishments, spoke life into 5 little hearts and said five beautiful little names that made me smile so BIG it has been permanently etched in my face.
These parentheses aren't so pesky after all.

With a humbled heart I am throwing away those anti aging wrinkle creams and gladly wearing these "parentheses". They will forever be my reminder of the year I became a mom and how God used us to help knit together the redemption of five beautiful little children the devil was sure were his.❤️

THE JOURNEY CONTINUES.....