The Beautiful Swan

During reading time with my girls, I chose The Ugly Duckling. This is very uncommon because I generally always choose something new to read that they haven't read before. I really sensed a leading from the Holy Spirit to choose this story.

The book explains how the ducks were very mean to the duckling. They pecked the duckling (physical abuse) and said mean things (verbal abuse). They bombarded the duckling from all sides. Then came the geese and herons which were also very mean, saying ugly things and subjecting the duckling to more pecking (abuse/neglect).

Then the duckling got away from the mean ducks, geese and the heron. The book says, "The duckling went off to himself and the duckling grew." Once the duckling relocated itself, it grew. To further elaborate, once the duckling removed itself from exterior pressure, it grew. The book means physically, but I believe we grow spiritually when we get away from exterior pressure. When we remove ourselves from all the "noise" and commune with Him, we lay aside everything that hinders us and we run with perseverance because there is no excess baggage to meditate on. Mediating on the wonderful goodness of God brings light to any situation. 

Then one day, a fellow swan swam over and spoke to the "ugly duckling"...that...had...grown. Even though the duckling had changed, even though it grew, it still saw itself as it was prior to the growth. But the fellow swan saw the "ugly duckling" for what it actually was! A beautiful swan!

Sometimes, we feel like we have been pecked and chipped away at from all sides; parents, spouse, children, work, car problems, bills, medical issues, loneliness, societal "norms" attempting to tell us we don't stack up. All those things are not absolute truth. 

Brother Terry Mize taught me, "I know God is good and I know His Word is Truth. Truth always trumps true. What may be true today, may not be true tomorrow." 


Please allow me to elaborate. Your mother/father/siblings/spouse/children (In other words, anyone who isn't speaking God's Truth which is His Word.) may have said mean things to you to make you believe you are an ugly duckling. But you are not an ugly duckling. You are a child of God. (John 1:12)  He calls you His friend. (John 15:15) You belong to Him. (1 Corinthians 6:19 & 20) 

Ask Him for a verse that reconciles with your spirit. Make that verse yours. You don't need a hundred verses. I believe it was Kenneth Copeland who said, "One word from God can change your life forever". Be faithful in replacing all other "noise" with your scripture. You can trump true with Absolute Truth! (Hebrews 4:12)

You can make the decision to take the Word of God and literally rewire your brain and rewrite your future to align with absolute Truth. Truth trumps true. Choose to take everything that has been said to you and trump it with, "No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is mine through Christ, who loves me."

Overwhelming victory is ours!

Take every thought captive (2 Corinthians 10:5). Your thoughts are in your head so you control them. Joy must come. (Psalm 30:5)

Therefore if anyone is in Christ...who is in Christ? YOU are in Christ! You are a new creature! All this newness is from God! It doesn't matter what anyone has said to you as a child, or what people say about you now if they gang up on you! Because, if what they say doesn't line up with the Word of God, it is a lie, how exciting! And since that is truth, you don't have to think on it! (2 Corinthians 5:17-21)

Consider this, perhaps others have said things to you not based on what how they see you but through filters they view themselves through. Perhaps they have more issues with themselves than they do with you but they have used you for their fall guy. 

And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. 

What are you going to think of yourself? What are you going to say about yourself? 

Are you going to base your thoughts and words in light of what others have thought and said? Or according to His marvelous light and dependent on what He thinks and according to what He has said? 

This choice is not only about you. It is also about your descendants.
This is truly your choice, so always, always, choose life! (Deuteronomy 30:19)