For You From The Word
To all who mourn in Israel he will give: beauty for ashes; joy instead of mourning; praise instead of heaviness. For God has planted them like strong and graceful oaks for his own glory. (Isaiah 61:3, TLB)
For You To Think About
She was conceived when her 19-year-old mother was attacked at knife-point on a busy Pittsburgh street by a man who dragged her behind a building and raped her.
Miss Pennsylvania 2014, Valerie Gatto, has found a way to make beauty from ashes, turning those violent beginnings into a beautiful, positive life purpose.
It was unyielding support from family members and a strong belief in God led her mother to carry Valerie to term and raise her. When Valerie was the third grade, her mom told her, “Something bad happened to me. A very bad man hurt me, but God gave me you.” Valerie’s mother turned a negative into a positive and then passed along that principle to her daughter. The principle became a lifestyle of a positive way to view life’s challenges.
Today Valerie refers to herself as “a product of rape,” but her determination inspires others in two areas: in her attitude, by focusing on the positive over the negative, and in practical living, as she works to raise sexual assault awareness in young women.
“I believe God put me here for a reason,” says Valerie in an interview with Today . “To inspire people, to encourage them, to give them hope that everything is possible and you can’t let your circumstances define your life.”
In other words, trade ashes for beauty.
For You To Pray
Heavenly Father,
You make all things beautiful – even those circumstances that may be ugly, violent, or cruel. Thank you for using women like Valerie’s mother to work for good. Speak to women who face an unplanned pregnancy and give them a vision of beauty for their ashes.
In Jesus name, Amen.
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