I am Loved.

There was a moment the other day when I was talking with my husband, I found myself saying something I never thought I would say again, “I feel safe.”

For someone who has come out of a past marked by mental and physical abuse, those words don’t come lightly. There was a time in my life when safety felt like something other people experienced—something distant, something I wasn’t sure I would ever fully know again. But here I am, on the other side of that pain, sitting in a peace I once prayed for but couldn’t yet see.

As I sat and reflected on that feeling, I realized something deeper. Yes, I feel safe with my husband—and that is a beautiful, answered prayer—but the safety I feel today didn’t start there.

It started with God.

“The Lord is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life—of whom shall I be afraid?” (Psalm 27:1)

Somewhere along the way as I grew in my relationship with Christ - something in me began to shift. My foundation changed. My sense of security was no longer tied to circumstances or people alone, but to the unshakable presence of God in my life. And from that place, everything else began to grow.

This year, for the first time in my entire life, I can honestly say I feel secure in who I am.

That statement alone feels like freedom.

For years, I struggled to love myself. I was never fully satisfied—mentally, physically, financially, or relationally. There was always something to fix, something to criticize, something that made me feel like I wasn’t enough. But this year, something is different. I recognize that I am in a good place—not because everything is perfect, but because my heart is anchored in the One who is.

“I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.” (Psalm 139:14)

As my relationship with Christ deepened, I began to understand something I had missed for so long: if I love God, and I believe that I am made in His image, then learning to love myself is not pride—it’s agreement with Him.

That truth has changed everything.

I feel good—mentally, physically, spiritually, and relationally. And for the first time, I’m not ashamed to say that. I’m not shrinking back from joy or waiting for something to go wrong. I’m allowing myself to fully experience the goodness of this season.

“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” (John 10:10)

This fullness, this peace, this safety—it’s not accidental. It’s the result of a loving Father who never gave up on me. A Father who waited patiently for me to turn back to Him and say, “Lord, I need You.”

“The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” (Psalm 34:18)

Looking back, I can see His hand in prayers I prayed and even forgot about. Prayers whispered in pain, in confusion, in desperation—He heard every single one of them.

And in His perfect timing, He answered.

Today, I stand not just as a woman who feels safe, but as a daughter of the King—loved, seen, protected, and restored.

“And because you are daughters, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts… So you are no longer a slave, but God’s child.” (Galatians 4:6-7)

I am so thankful—for His love, for His patience, for His healing, and for His faithfulness. And maybe most of all, I’m thankful that He taught me what it truly means to be safe. 

God’s Love and Mine,

Carrie