I would like to say; “I lived happily ever after – The End”, but it didn’t work like that. Yes I changed a lot in many ways, but I still didn’t feel good about me. I felt worthless, insignificant, and unimportant – even though I knew God loved me. I was so afraid of people; afraid they would look at me or speak to me!

So how did I get to where I am today? Oh I tried to be like other women. I’ll dress like her, laugh like her, pray like her (but not in public!), and even have my house like her! Of course it didn’t solve a thing; I was looking in all the wrong places. I needed to realise that God made me to be me! You can’t be someone else or live someone else’s life.

The change in me wasn’t a planned thing and I can’t pinpoint an exact time when it started. I was always asking God to help me. I pray and expect God to do this wonderful, magical thing for me. It’s been a gradual change over many years. I started making friends and mixing with people more, I couldn’t really avoid it being in church!  My self-esteem and self-confidence were virtually non-existent, but the deeper the friendships became the more the real me came out. Bible teaching and personal time with God helped me to see who I am. It’s taken years. I’ve had to completely change my thinking about myself; to have my mind renewed…the bible talks about this in Romans 12:2.

I’ve come to realise that God has made me this way. He gave me this body (although I’ve added a few pounds of my own); he decided my height, my eye and hair colour, my voice, the way I laugh.” Psalm 139 is one of my favourite pieces of scripture, “For you created my inmost being………etc.” I’m now happy being me – I don’t want to be anyone else. I’m not afraid to speak to people now, although I’m still a little shy. I love myself now and it’s ok to say that! Recently I went to a ladies’ conference and one phrase spoken there brought about another change in how I see myself. The speaker said, “You are the daughter of an awesome king”. WOW! It was one of those “God moments”, when He switched on another light. I AM the daughter of an awesome king!! That means I’m a Princess. I used to live a “Cinderella” type existence. I was “rags” inside. I used to think I was nothing and nobody – but to God I am somebody! He has an important role for me. I’m unique – there’s nobody else like me and I’m rich in Him!