Last night, my wife gave the following testimony at Crikvenica. (Posted with her permission.)

This morning, the most awful thing happened to me.  Oh, I smiled pleasantly, and acquiesced, but in my soul, I wanted to crawl under a rock and hide.  What was this awful thing?  Mladin asked me to share my testimony with you this evening.  

You see, my first response is to say, “testimony?  I don’t have a testimony.  And besides, nobody wants to hear from me!”

Well, everybody has a testimony, don’t we?  Some have spectacular testimonies of changed lives and healing from addictions, abuse, or tragedy.  Not me.  I grew up in an unbelieving home, but early in my life, my oldest sister became a Christian and her influence eventually brought us all into belief.  I have lived a good life.  I have always been a good girl.  I married a very good man, and we have served in ministry for 33 years.

So, what is my testimony?  My testimony is that at 55 years old, I am finally realizing that I am enough.  I. Am. Enough.

• My mom is a strikingly beautiful woman.  I will never be strikingly beautiful.

• My brothers and sisters are larger than life personalities.  I am an introvert.

• My husband is brilliant and talented and confident.  I’m a homebody.

• I LOVE music, but I don’t sing, and I can’t play an instrument.

Maybe some of you can relate?  Maybe some of my sisters here have, like me, had an internal dialogue that says, “I can’t….I won’t….I’m not…I’m not beautiful, I’m not outgoing, I’m no fun, I’m not like _____________.”  Don’t get me wrong, I’m not a wallflower, and I’ve not spent my life rolled up in a ball paralyzed.

But, the truth of my life is this.  I’ve lived a small, but important life.  I’ve achieved some good things.  I’ve raised 3 great children.  I’ve seen some amazing places and known some amazing people.

That’s good enough, right?

Wrong.  I am a grateful believer in Jesus Christ.  I accepted Him as my Lord and Savior.  I died to myself and rose again from the waters of baptism as a new creation.  A masterpiece.  God’s masterpiece.  It is no longer I who lives, but Christ who lives in me.

I. Am. Enough.

I’m not less than because of my personality traits or my outward appearance.  I’m not less than because I’m a foreigner living in a foreign land.  I’m not less than because I’m a woman and not a man.  

And you, dear sisters, are enough too.  

• Every tear you wipe away from your child’s eyes, whispers that you are enough.

• Every meal you prepare and serve your family, proclaims that you are enough.

• Every conversation you have with a friend, points them to Jesus.

• Every day you get up and go do a job that you may love, you may not love, testifies to your discipline and self sacrifice.

• You are not disqualified from knowing, loving, serving, teaching, writing, testifying, leading, preaching, and proclaiming that Jesus is Lord.  You are a Masterpiece, too, created in Christ Jesus, to do good things.  

My testimony is this.  You, my dear sisters, live small, but important lives too.  And God has uniquely gifted you to use your gifts for His Kingdom!  You mustn’t be silenced because you are a woman, or you are a Croat, or you are not drop dead gorgeous, or other people are more talented than you, or smarter than you!

And, as long as I am a foreigner in this land, I want to help you, dear sisters, know your value.  I want to help you know your gifting.  I want to help you walk in confidence that you are God’s beautiful masterpiece.  

Brennan Manning was an American Priest, a very flawed man, but an honest seeker of holiness.  He has said, “Define yourself radically as one beloved by God. This is the true self. Every other identity is illusion.” 

This is truth, sisters….the inner dialogue that says, “I can’t.  I won’t.  I’m not good enough.  Or my testimony is boring” is a lie.  Because you And I are radically beloved by  God and this is how I choose to define my worth.  How about you?  Will you decide today to embrace the truth that you are a Masterpiece?  Please consider this, dear sisters, because whatever your story, You. Are. Enough.