Finding Beautiful By Rebecca FriedlanderSample

Day Four: Beautiful Warrior

Scripture: John 15:8, 16:33, I John 4:4, 13-18

As Oriel walked across the old stone courtyard in Jerusalem, she carried the persona of a soldier whose presence should not be taken lightly. This young woman has fought for her identity, I sensed, and she has won. Above the noisy street traffic inside the walls of the Old City, we talked about her childhood move to Israel from the United States and how her insecurities grew after she arrived in Jerusalem.

“It has to be understood like this,” she stated in precise, definitive English. “When I was in the States, I wasn’t a threat to the devil. The moment I came to Israel, all hell broke loose in my life. A person who loves is unstoppable, and I had made the decision to love God and love all people.”

For as long as she could remember, Oriel felt horribly ugly. She felt too pale and too skinny, her skin was easily irritated, her nose was too big, and her ears stuck out. When schoolmates rejected her attempts of kindness and friendship, cruelly mocking her physical appearance, she withdrew into despairing humiliation that led to compulsive isolation.

In the middle of the battle for her sanity, a tiny flame of love still fought for survival in her heart: no matter what happened, Oriel couldn’t stop loving God. In her private torment, she still reached out to Him in prayer, even though she believed He hated her and rejected the love she wanted to give. Fearing for her mental health, her brother tenaciously spoke, “Oriel, if you say that you love God and believe in Him, then you have to believe that He is Who He says He is—and He is love.”

Oriel sat up, shocked. Feeling rejected and tormented by those who wouldn’t receive her love was the greatest pain she had ever known. Suddenly, she was faced with a question she had never thought of before. If God cannot lie, and He says that He loves me, then it must be true.

Oriel understood that Christ also experienced intense hatred, but His identity was never at stake, nor did it define how He felt about Himself or His Father. Instead, He took the rejection and shame willingly so that the world might have a picture of how far God would go to show His love. Oriel determined to fight for love at all costs. Overcoming rejection and choosing love adorned Oriel in true beauty.

How have you experienced rejection? Do you believe God loves you?