Coat of Many Colors

…in God I trust: I shall not be afraid. (Psalm 56:11a)

If you know me, you know me. I am much like the cat in the picture. I’m charismatic, outgoing in every direction, have a style of my own and not afraid to wear it. I love the fluffy feeling of being complete in my attire, all the accessories. The colors in this cat make me feel happy, relaxed and comfortable. I’m just not sure about the look on her face though. She almost looks frightened, or surprised. Then I thought about that for a bit, I wonder if anyone notices that in me when I’m dressed in my coat of many colors, all fluffed up? Do they see the hurt, or fear that I sometimes feel, the shock or overwhelming feeling of life in the moment? Can they see the burdens that I am carrying that are woven so intricately into the fabric of my being, that I try to disguise as some form of accessory? I have hidden things in my attire in the past because I didn’t want people to see the deeper parts of me. When you are the one that people look to for a smile, a touch, a word of encouragement, the last thing you want them to see is what you are going through. We can do pretty good at hiding those things from other people, but we can’t hide them from God and honestly he does not want us too. God is my Father and a Good Good Father at that. He cares about EVERYTHING I care about. He knows my every thought, every happy, sad moment, he even knows every hair on my head and He collects every tear I’ve ever cried and puts’ them in a bottle, recording them in His book (Ps. 56:8). He knows my pain, sorrow, and struggles and he won’t ever forget them. He is aware of every burden I’ve had to bear, from the sleepless nights to the quiet unseen sorrows wrapped in my “Oh I feel so good” outfit I’m wearing. So when I look at this cat, what I see is beautiful on the outside, but on the inside is a different kind of beauty. It’s not a form of weakness because of that look in her eye, or the look in my eye, rather it is a need to give it over to the One who sees and remembers. Those feelings on the inside I call them beautiful to because I am created by a God that does not make mistakes, therefore, He wanted me to feel or He wouldn’t have given me the emotions to do so. What He doesn’t want is for me to be in bondage to those feeling and feel the need to hide them or hide from them nor does he want you too. So, get out your best outfit, accessorize, put a smile on your face and let the light shine down upon you with confidence that what others see you wearing on the outside, is the same thing you are wearing on the inside.