Dear friend..
Most Mondays I wake up early with a goal of getting homework accomplished. I head to my favorite coffee shop, and try to start my week off productively.
And then every now and then there are Mondays like this. When I come with every intention of doing homework, and instead cannot stop writing.
So here I am.
And I have something to say.
To the girl in the blue dress at church yesterday:
I saw you. I saw the way you looked at the girl next to you in the row. I saw how you looked at her shoes, and then your shoes. Her outfit, and then your dress. I saw how you looked at her body, and then looked with sadness at your own.
I saw how, in a matter of ten seconds, your mindset changed and you began to see her image as the perfect one, and tear yourself down for not being the same.
And friend, I am so sorry.
I am sorry that you are taught to think that someone else is the perfect version of you. (She's not.)
I am sorry that tv shows say that you have to have perfectly straight hair or perfect loose curls to fit in. (You don't.)
I am sorry that the magazines you pass every time you try and go to the store have 20 new diets to try so you can hit that 115 pound mark. (You don't need to hit that.)
It hurts me that in a world where girls are being taught that they can be anything, we still dictate what we wear and how we wear it by what others tell us.
So friend in the blue dress, I am so sorry this is the world you are living in.
I see you, and I see the hurt in your eyes and in your heart.
And, well, on this Monday morning, I just want you to know that you are enough.
You are enough because the world does not define us.
The world does not tell us what is in our inner hearts. Only God knows that.
And even more than that, I am of the opinion that the Creator of the ocean and parakeets and pine straw and elephants and sunshine did not mess up on the thickness of your hair.
He did not accidentally give you pale skin.
He does not do that.
Friend, you were made in the most beautiful image of them all.
You are fearfully and wonderfully created.
"For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works, my soul knows it very well."
Psalm 139: 13-14
And friend, I want you to know that you are beautiful, and the world cannot tell you otherwise.
"Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of you mind..."
Romans 12:2
You are loved.
"See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him." 1 John 3:1
You are treasured more than jewels.
"Who can find a virtuous woman? She is more precious than rubies." Proverb 31:10
You are full of joy, even in trials.
"Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trails of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness." James 1:2-3
Your worth is so much more than makeup and clothes my friend.
"Do not let your adorning be external... But let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart..."
1 Peter 3:3-4
You can change the world, just by being yourself.
"You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that the may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven." Matthew 5:14-16
You see friend, you don't need to look at the girl next to you in the row. Yes, she is wonderful.
But you have a purpose too. God has a specific plan for you.
He knows what tomorrow holds for you, and He has things laid out just the way He wants them.
Have I mentioned the story of Amy Carmichael before? It's one of my favorites.
Amy was born in Ireland way back in the late 1800's. And Amy was born with dark brown eyes. Her mother had told her that God would always hear her if she prayed, so as a young girl Amy prayed every night for many months that God would change her eyes from brown to bright blue, her favorite color. As you can expect, God answered those prayers with a no. However, Amy grew up and moved to be a missionary in India. When she heard of how young girls were forced into prostitution at the local temples, she dressed up in the local clothing, and because of her brown eyes, she was able to blend in and rescue girls with no one being the wiser.
And while we may not all be rescuing girls, God has a brilliant plan in mind for each of us. It is a beautiful and perfect plan. And it is specific just for you.
There is no need to compare yourself.
I have no idea if the girl in the blue dress will read this, but that really doesn't matter.
I am also the girl in the blue dress. I constantly compare, and worry, and wonder, and ask why. Maybe you do too.
So my friends..
be confident in yourself. Be confident in the fact that the Creator of the entire enormous world loves you, He has a plan for you, and He loves the fact that your personal sense of style put those shoes with that skirt this morning. He loves the way your eyes crinkle when you laugh, and He loves to hear you laugh. The same Creator of big blue whales loves seeing the joy in your heart.
He loves you so much.
So that's about it. I'm not sure if you're like the girl in the blue dress, but if you are I hope you feel encouraged this week. And if you're not, I hope you still feel encouraged this week.
"Many are the plans in the mind of the man, but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails." Proverbs 19:21
And occasionally that means blogging instead of the work I had planned, and well, that's quite alright with me.
And then every now and then there are Mondays like this. When I come with every intention of doing homework, and instead cannot stop writing.
So here I am.
And I have something to say.
To the girl in the blue dress at church yesterday:
I saw you. I saw the way you looked at the girl next to you in the row. I saw how you looked at her shoes, and then your shoes. Her outfit, and then your dress. I saw how you looked at her body, and then looked with sadness at your own.
I saw how, in a matter of ten seconds, your mindset changed and you began to see her image as the perfect one, and tear yourself down for not being the same.
And friend, I am so sorry.
I am sorry that you are taught to think that someone else is the perfect version of you. (She's not.)
I am sorry that tv shows say that you have to have perfectly straight hair or perfect loose curls to fit in. (You don't.)
I am sorry that the magazines you pass every time you try and go to the store have 20 new diets to try so you can hit that 115 pound mark. (You don't need to hit that.)
It hurts me that in a world where girls are being taught that they can be anything, we still dictate what we wear and how we wear it by what others tell us.
So friend in the blue dress, I am so sorry this is the world you are living in.
I see you, and I see the hurt in your eyes and in your heart.
And, well, on this Monday morning, I just want you to know that you are enough.
You are enough because the world does not define us.
The world does not tell us what is in our inner hearts. Only God knows that.
And even more than that, I am of the opinion that the Creator of the ocean and parakeets and pine straw and elephants and sunshine did not mess up on the thickness of your hair.
He did not accidentally give you pale skin.
He does not do that.
Friend, you were made in the most beautiful image of them all.
You are fearfully and wonderfully created.
"For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works, my soul knows it very well."
Psalm 139: 13-14
And friend, I want you to know that you are beautiful, and the world cannot tell you otherwise.
"Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of you mind..."
Romans 12:2
You are loved.
"See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him." 1 John 3:1
You are treasured more than jewels.
"Who can find a virtuous woman? She is more precious than rubies." Proverb 31:10
You are full of joy, even in trials.
"Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trails of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness." James 1:2-3
Your worth is so much more than makeup and clothes my friend.
"Do not let your adorning be external... But let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart..."
1 Peter 3:3-4
You can change the world, just by being yourself.
"You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that the may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven." Matthew 5:14-16
You see friend, you don't need to look at the girl next to you in the row. Yes, she is wonderful.
But you have a purpose too. God has a specific plan for you.
He knows what tomorrow holds for you, and He has things laid out just the way He wants them.
Have I mentioned the story of Amy Carmichael before? It's one of my favorites.
Amy was born in Ireland way back in the late 1800's. And Amy was born with dark brown eyes. Her mother had told her that God would always hear her if she prayed, so as a young girl Amy prayed every night for many months that God would change her eyes from brown to bright blue, her favorite color. As you can expect, God answered those prayers with a no. However, Amy grew up and moved to be a missionary in India. When she heard of how young girls were forced into prostitution at the local temples, she dressed up in the local clothing, and because of her brown eyes, she was able to blend in and rescue girls with no one being the wiser.
And while we may not all be rescuing girls, God has a brilliant plan in mind for each of us. It is a beautiful and perfect plan. And it is specific just for you.
There is no need to compare yourself.
I have no idea if the girl in the blue dress will read this, but that really doesn't matter.
I am also the girl in the blue dress. I constantly compare, and worry, and wonder, and ask why. Maybe you do too.
So my friends..
be confident in yourself. Be confident in the fact that the Creator of the entire enormous world loves you, He has a plan for you, and He loves the fact that your personal sense of style put those shoes with that skirt this morning. He loves the way your eyes crinkle when you laugh, and He loves to hear you laugh. The same Creator of big blue whales loves seeing the joy in your heart.
He loves you so much.
So that's about it. I'm not sure if you're like the girl in the blue dress, but if you are I hope you feel encouraged this week. And if you're not, I hope you still feel encouraged this week.
"Many are the plans in the mind of the man, but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails." Proverbs 19:21
And occasionally that means blogging instead of the work I had planned, and well, that's quite alright with me.
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