🌿 Day 32 – Lifted by Love. A 40 Day Journey of Hope
🎵 Song of the Day: Love Lifted Me – Micah Tyler
📖 Scripture: “But God will never forget the needy; the hope of the afflicted will never perish.” – Psalm 9:18 (NIV)
📓 40-Day Hope Journal Playlist: Listen Here
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💜 Reflection
October begins Domestic Violence Awareness Month, and today my heart is heavy yet lifted. Abuse and rejection leave deep wounds that whisper, you are not enough. It is hard to name even five things you love about yourself when your life has been full of criticism, neglect, and abandonment. Yet today I wrote them down:
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I love my smile.
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I love my personality—I get along with many people.
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I love my intellect and ability to see the future.
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I love my quickness to learn.
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I love my resilience.
When you have been abused, it can feel almost impossible to say these words out loud. To claim even one thing you love about yourself can feel like rebellion against the lies of the past.
But the song reminds me: “Love lifted me up! I’m never coming back down. I’m no longer stranded in the pit of despair, You love me too much to leave me there.”
🌹 Honest Truth
Even though I know my past relationship was toxic, it doesn’t mean there wasn’t love. I gave time, heart, and life to that bond. And now, I watch from the outside as my abuser moves on with someone new—someone I even have to work alongside. That reality stings. It is rejection on top of abuse, a wound that whispers, you weren’t chosen.
But here’s the greater truth: I was not picked over by God. His love is not a competition. His love lifts me when human love lets me down. When my abuser turned away, God turned toward me.
🪞 Self-Reflection Questions
Take a moment to ask yourself:
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Have I ever believed the lie that I wasn’t “chosen” or that I wasn’t enough?
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What relationships in my life have left me feeling unseen, unloved, or forgotten?
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How am I still carrying rejection, shame, or grief from the past?
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What would it mean for me to truly believe that God has never overlooked me?
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How might His love lift me above the pain I’ve been holding onto?
🌿 Hope Application – Enhancing Self-Esteem
When life tears us down, God invites us to rebuild with His love as the foundation. Here are 5 ways to enhance self-esteem in God’s love:
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Start Small – Write down one thing you like about yourself each day.
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Pray Over It – Ask God to help you believe what you’ve written.
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Practice Saying It Out Loud – Speak life over yourself in the mirror.
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Anchor in Scripture – Claim verses about God’s love and worth.
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Seek Community – Surround yourself with people who reflect truth and encouragement.
✍ Journaling Activity: Replacing Lies with Truth
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Write down one lie of rejection you have believed (for example: “I wasn’t chosen,” “I’m not enough,” or “I’m unlovable”).
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Then write down one truth from God’s Word to replace it (for example: “I am chosen and dearly loved” – Colossians 3:12, or “The hope of the afflicted will never perish” – Psalm 9:18).
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Speak the truth out loud and keep it somewhere visible (mirror, notebook, phone screen).
💡 Each time you feel the weight of rejection, return to this practice: name the lie, replace it with truth, and speak it in faith.
✨ Closing Declaration
My self-esteem may wrestle with self-doubt, but I will keep going. God’s love is the strong fuel that changes hearts, minds, lives, and futures. Love has lifted me, and I am never coming back down.
🆘 Crisis Resources
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National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-7233
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Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: Dial 988
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RAINN Sexual Assault Hotline: 1-800-656-4673
💙 You belong here. You are not forgotten. You are loved.
With hope and appreciation,
Dr Brooke Jones
Founder Stronger Women