Why Is My Skin Dark?

At some point in a young child's life, his/her eyes are opened, recognizing things that he/she was not aware of previously. The child becomes innocently curious of life, asking questions like; Why is the sky blue? Why is grass green? Why do fish swim? Contrary to these innocently posed questions, I asked, why is my skin dark?

When I was a child, one day at school, a few boys began to make hurtful comments about my skin complexion. In that very moment, I was enlightened and realized for the first time that being dark-skinned was an isolated "thing." I knew that I was dark-skinned, but there was never a moment prior to that experience that highlighted it. I remember that when I got home after school, I asked my mother,

“Why is my skin dark?”

With concern in her voice she replied,

“What do you mean?”

“Why am I dark? You’re not dark why am I?”

Shocked by the question I presented before her, she kept folding the laundry in silence. My mother was most likely waiting for the holy spirit to give her the right words to say, knowing that the question I asked her was not one of those innocently curious questions. She knew that she had to have wisdom to answer this question fully. Once my mother gathered her thoughts, she gave the most unexpected answer,

“Because you are.”

I know her answer had to come from God because it was so vague, yet so complex. I never questioned my complexion after receiving her response. And I also never struggled with wanting to be a lighter complexion or lacking confidence because I was darker. In fact, as the years progressed, I saw my complexion as one of my greatest assets.

As I grew older, I began to realize that other girls and even women had a huge insecurity about their skin complexion. It would blow my mind that so many of my peers thought that they were inferior because their skin was darker.

I remember being told by a friend in high school,

“It’s different for you Jasmine. You’re comfortable in your skin. Most of us don't feel that way.”

Those words broke my heart knowing, as some of the most gorgeous girls I knew did not see themselves that way.

I know this is a loaded topic that takes time, history, and research to unpack all of the multi-faceted dimensions that has affected so many women's lives. But I am not here to discuss how the workforce views darker women, how Hollywood portrays darker women, or how men feel about darker women. I do not even want to give you the cliche response of ‘God loves you just the way you are,’ (although that is very true). I want to look beyond our natural understanding of the skin complexion issue that has plagued so many of our girls around the world.

What if I said that being dark-skin was a divine plan from God in order for us to fulfill the purpose He has already preordained? And that this inferiority complex that has been shoved in our face is an attack from the enemy so that we can never fully step into what God has for us?

What if I told you that whether you are dark, light, black, white, Latina, Asian, biracial, or anything else, that you cannot change but makes you feel awkward, different, or inferior is the exact thing that God wants to use in order to compliment the calling on your life.

In the book of Exodus, a Hebrew named Moses that grew up in the Egyptian palace was introduced to us. During that time period, Hebrews were slaves and viewed as inferior in Egypt. I am sure Moses dealt with much turmoil internally and externally because he was a Hebrew amongst Egyptians. He probably looked different than everyone else in the palace and constantly felt inferior, despite him not being a slave like the rest of his people. His features were different, his hair was probably different, and his skin-complexion may have been different as well. There may have been times growing up that he desired to change his appearance, so that he would no longer have to deal with the internal-conflict he battled. I’m sure he asked himself a million times, why am I a Hebrew amongst Egyptians? Why did God make me like this?

Little did he know, God had a purpose and a plan for his life that included him being a Hebrew. God had preordained for Moses to be the one to go toe-to-toe with pharaoh, so that he could set the children of Israel free from slavery. God could have come up with a ton of different ways to set the people of Israel free to lead them into the Promise Land, but he wanted to use Moses. Why?

It could be because this was the most effective method, due to Moses being prepared throughout his whole life by enduring that constant battle of not feeling good enough. God may have chosen Moses because He knew that thousands of years later we would read about this major historical event and hoped that we’d receive a revelatory word from the Holy Spirit that God wants to use everything about us for a specific purpose that will bring Him glory; even the things that makes us feel inferior.

If you are anything like me who asked my mom why is my skin dark, or anything like Moses who may have asked, why am I Hebrew, let me give you some words of wisdom, because you are.

You are your complexion. You are your race. You are your ethnicity. You are exactly how God knew you would be when he formed you in your mother’s womb and set you apart (Jeremiah 1:5). You are born for a time such as this (Esther 4:14). You are called for a purpose so that God might show you His power and His name might be proclaimed in all the earth (Exodus 9:16).

God’s Word says that, “We know that God makes all things work together for the good of those who love Him and are chosen to be a part of His plan.” (Romans 8:28)

So don't become a victim to the played-out strategy that the enemy has used for thousands of years. Do not allow him to cause you to question why God made you the way that He did. It is time to stop entertaining those thoughts from the devil, renew our minds in this area, and surrender every single part of who we are to God so that He can use it for His glory.

Now that I think of it, the response my mom gave me sounds pretty familiar.

In Exodus chapter 3, before Moses went back to Egypt so that he could defeat Pharaoh to set the people of Israel free, he went to the top of Mount Sinai. At the mountaintop is where God appeared to Moses in a burning bush and Moses asked God, who are you?

In order to allow God to make all things work together for our good, we must first know who He is. In finding out who God is, we can then begin to truly recognize who we are.

God answered Moses saying,

“ I am, that I am.”

God’s answer, just like my mom’s answer, was so vague, yet so complex. When the Lord responded to Moses, he too no longer questioned anything and it put to rest the lingering question, "why am I this way?" When the Lord answered saying, “I am, that I am,” he was also saying,

“You are, that you are.”

Article Assessment

Faith:

• Read and Memorize Ephesians 2:10

• According to Ephesians 2:10 Who are you? What does this mean?

Fashion:

• Look at yourself in the mirror, put on some lip gloss and your prettiest smile and say out loud!

"I am God's Masterpiece, He created me! God has great things planned for my life and I'm going to do them!"

• Let us know what you believe God has called you to do at #churchgirlz #IamGoodEnough

Fabulous:

• Send a text to a niece, friend, sister or other special young lady in your life. Share with them that God loves them just the way they are.

Ah ha moment: Anytime Satan talks to you he is lying!

*Stay tuned for "Church Girlz Chatz" this Thursday night!

#amigoodenough #amilightenouhg #amaralanegra #colorism #racism #darkskin #melanin #melaninpoppin