Worship with Hope and Trust

“Sad”? Is that the word I’d use? I’ve come to view Jesus’ act on the cross as the most beautiful gesture of poured-out solace I’ve ever taken in. What did she mean exactly—“so sad”?
I backed away in my mind and looked again at her response.

Then it hit me. My friend was still considering Jesus.

For as long as I can remember, I have sought the approval of men. Like many daughters, I longed for the praise and attention of my father growing up, but for whatever reason, the approval he gave was never enough. As a young child, I giggled in delight when Charlie or Nick or Jason would chase me around the playground. Shrouded in the fog of extreme shyness, I developed massive middle school crushes, and from the age of 13 until I turned 20, there was never less than a month of time between one long-term boyfriend and the next. My self-worth was tied up in both what I could show off in a fatherly approval trophy case and what I could win in affection and attention from my boyfriend.