Proverbs 31:10 – A wife of noble character, who can find?  She is worth far more than rubies.

This Bible verse in Proverbs has had an enormous positive impact on my life.  In a society where we as women often struggle to find self-worth by measuring ourselves against the standards of the world, we instead find ourselves lacking in both self-esteem and confidence.  But the Bible teaches us that our worth is far more than rubies, that true beauty is found within, and that our identity is found in Christ.

One summer day, while I was contemplating my wounds, the hurts of my past, and the faulty logic that colored my present day beliefs regarding my value as a person, I stumbled across a post on my news feed on Facebook.  Dee Kasberger had posted a picture of her artwork, “She is worth far more than rubies,” with a link to her Red Letter Words business, http://www.redletterwords.com/.

It was as if God was whispering these words in my ear, his voice soft and gentle.  I marvelled at his timing and the balm of healing his word provided.  I savored its meaning. Revelled in how it lit the dark corners of my heart with its sweet message.  For in God’s eyes, we all are worth far more than rubies.

In that moment, I was convicted that every woman needs to hear this message.  I decided that I would display it in my house so that every woman who entered might read it and walk away feeling touched by God’s love.  But… purchasing it was not an immediate option.  I would need to wait until my next birthday.

God works in mysterious ways. 🙂 That same night, as I attended our church’s music ministry summer picnic, a friend flagged me down to tell me that she’d talked to Dee Kasberger (the owner of Red Letter Words) who’d told her that she wanted to gift me with one piece of her artwork.  She encouraged me to check out Dee’s website and pick out anything that I liked.  I was floored.  My friend had no idea that I’d stumbled across Dee’s page earlier that afternoon and had no clue of the thoughts I’d been working through.  God was stirring the waters of my heart like the pool of Bethesda.

My eyes welled with tears and I was filled with an overwhelming sense of God’s presence.  To this day, I wonder if God was watching my friend and I with great mirth…. if maybe, just maybe he let loose a hearty guffaw… for my heart abounded with joy. The knowledge that God actively reached out to touch my heart, and used two of my friends to do so, is awe-inspiring.  I love that!

Today, this message holds a place of honor in my kitchen.  I want everyone that my life touches to know that they are worth far more than rubies to God.  That nothing can separate us from His love.

Perhaps I will stitch this very verse into the fabric of my creations, in the hopes that someday God might use me to speak into the fabric of someone else’s life.

Thank-you Dee for blessing me and for following your heart!
With all of mine,
Janna.