Becoming Real: Embracing Authenticity in the Journey of Faith

Discovering God’s Transformative Love in the Midst of Brokenness and Redemption

Dearest Readers,

“Generally, by the time you are Real, most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out, and you get loose in the joints and very shabby.” These cherished words from The Velveteen Rabbit resonate deeply with the human journey. Becoming "Real" is a process—it is shaped by love, trials, and the inevitable scars life leaves behind. It’s messy, unglamorous, and often painful. Yet, it is also the most beautiful journey, for it leads us to being fully known and loved by God.

Listen to NF - Real

The story of The Velveteen Rabbit offers a poignant metaphor for our spiritual walk. The Rabbit yearned to be “Real,” but he learned that becoming "Real" doesn’t mean staying pristine or untouched. It means embracing the unraveling of what we once thought mattered—our appearance, our achievements—and being transformed by love. Just as the Rabbit was transformed by the boy’s love, we are changed by God’s love, which sees us in our worn, threadbare state and calls us beautiful.

When I look back on my life, I see the same transformative process at work. Over a decade ago, I fled an abusive relationship with nothing but the clothes on my back and my two young children. I didn’t know how I was going to raise them while carrying the weight of trauma, guilt, and brokenness. In my lowest moments, I wept before the Lord, crying, “How can I raise my children when I feel so shattered? I don’t want them to be like me—I want them to make better choices, to have a better life.”

One night, I woke from a dream with the song Cats in the Cradle playing in my mind. I cried out to God for direction, and He whispered to my heart, “Start blogging. Seek first the Kingdom and My righteousness, and all else will be given to you.” That simple call became my anchor. Writing became a way to process my pain, share my story, and find healing. It also became a tool for breaking the generational cycles I desperately wanted to end for my children. Glory to God for His unfailing direction!

Still, the journey has not been easy. After the trial against my abuser, I spiraled into depression and found myself in an inpatient facility due to suicidal thoughts. Hopelessness gripped me, and the guilt and damage to my mind were overwhelming. Medications didn’t help, so I stopped taking them and turned fully to God. Slowly, He began to rebuild me, not by erasing the scars but by using them for His glory.

In these years of healing, I’ve learned about attachment styles and how my anxious-avoidant tendencies were shaped by my trauma. I’ve seen those same struggles reflected in my children, who bear the weight of generational pain, trauma, and absent fathers from addictions. Watching them battle depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation has been heartbreaking. This year, they were both admitted to a PRTF (Psychiatric Residential Treatment Facility) for their safety and hopeful future. I visit when I can and write them letters to remind them of God’s love and the hope we have in Him.

There are days when it feels impossible to praise, but that’s when I draw closer to the Lord, like a sunflower leaning toward the sun. As Brandon Lake sings in Hard-Fought Hallelujah:

"There’s days when a praise comes out easy,
Days when it takes all the strength I got.
I’ll bring my hard-fought, heartfelt, been-through-hell hallelujah."

Even when life feels like a relentless storm, God is faithful. He has met me in the quiet places, gently refining my faith through fire. Maverick City Music’s Stand Still reminds me to embrace the stillness and trust that He is restoring what has been lost:

"He’s bringing back the years, He’s restoring me.
He draws me out of fear, says He’s holding me."

Becoming "Real" means surrendering every broken piece of your heart and every fragmented thought to the Lord. It means trusting Him to take your scars and use them for His glory. Like the Rabbit, we may feel worn out and unrecognizable at times, but in God’s eyes, that’s when we are most beautiful—when His love has transformed us into something authentic and true.

So, dear friends, let us embrace this journey. Let us bring our raw, storm-tossed hallelujahs to the Lord, trusting that He will turn our mess into a masterpiece. God’s love is what makes us “Real,” and His grace is what sustains us in every season. Glory to God, for His goodness and mercy that follow us all the days of our lives!

When the Threads Unravel: A New Chapter in God’s Divine Tapestry – Cats in the Cradle Blog

Becoming Real: Embracing Authenticity in the Journey of Faith – Cats in the Cradle Blog

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