When I was a teen, I used the bathroom as a hiding place when things got too intense.
I hid there on dates. I hid there at prom. I hid there almost every night family stuff got too heavy.
In the bathroom, I struggled with my identity. My head knowledge told me I was a child of God. But my broken heart told me I wasn’t worth very much.
I had to learn that I was worth protecting. I was worth defending. I was worth cherishing. I didn’t feel that way growing up as a child of divorce. I felt abandoned, unprotected, not worthy of focused attention. I was stuck in emotional survival mode of taking whatever love I could get, even when others took advantage of me.
When my sense of self-worth was restored through years of Bible study and therapy, I learned to protect and defend it. I learned to be assertive and speak out against toxic patterns. I couldn’t afford to hide any longer if I wanted to be the strong, capable woman that God called me to be.
I don’t hide in bathrooms anymore. When conflict arises, I calmly confront if the situation warrants. This has taken years of practice and courage. I’ve dealt with plenty of pushback, but I’ve gained my freedom.
The teenage girl inside me didn’t recognize her worth. But I know my worth in Christ now, and I’m living life out in the open.
Questions for reflection:
As a teen, how healthy was your sense of self-worth?
How has God healed you from past seasons of low self-worth?
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