Love The Skin Your In

Several years ago, somebody once told me that I need to get “thicker skin” and my gut response to that comment was, “I like the skin I’m in.”  But the truth is at that moment of my life I was feeling insecure and left wondering what is my “skin” really supposed to look like. Recently, I traveled to the southernmost part of Uganda, to visit a small community that, after visiting 3 times, I now consider family.  My dearest friends who are leaders in that community, have the most beautiful skin, not just on the outside, but on the inside too because they are confident of God’s calling on their lives.  It is true that they see so much heartache and suffering but at the same time they exude joy and faith that is truly inspiring. When I am there with them, sharing with the children and praying over young mothers, I realize that this is one thing I was created to do, to gain a fuller understanding of what my “skin” looks like, the skin that God created for me to live in. 

A few weeks ago, Fernando and I went on a celebratory trip with my family, including my parents, my brothers and sisters in law and our 5 nieces.  We celebrated some important birthdays, a graduation and a milestone anniversary for my parents.  One of my favorite memories that I will take away from that trip was on the last night, swimming in the warm waters of the Atlantic Ocean with my nieces at dusk, searching for sand dollars, singing Disney Princess songs and laughing at whatever teenage girls laugh at these days. It was a reminder of how truly blessed I am to belong to a family who truly loves each other and enjoys spending time with each other.  It was also a grounding experience knowing that even though our family is not perfect, these people love my “skin” and I love theirs.

Fine Art by Loreen is truly an outpouring and expression of the skin God has given me. This skin has so many layers: defeats and victories, heartache and healing, some ugly and some beautiful, just like the many layers of my paintings, but it always turns out beautiful and joyful in the end, just like God intended it to be.  My prayer for you this summer is that God continues to reveal to you what your skin looks like and give you the grace and courage you need to grow and thrive in it so you can learn to love the skin you’re in.