If you are reading this, I am talking to you. To the family going through this tragedy that just seems doomed, I am talking to you. To the little girl who cries in her room because she's not as skinny as the Victoria Secret models on TV, I'm talking to you. To the teenager who is battling depression because she doesn't feel loved by a guy she has given her heart to, I'm talking to you. To the young mother who doesn't understand why her child was taken away from her, I'm talking to you. To the woman in the nursing home waiting on someone to visit, I'm talking to you.
You are strong.
You are loved.
You are important.
You are beautiful.
In life, we are all dealt a hand, like a deck of cards. This deck we are given is full of trials and heartaches, but also full of happiness and life. What we do with these cards is what makes our own personal stories.
You are strong
I personally love to hear people's story. I love to hear the little things, as well as the big things, that make up someone's life. I love to listen to someone tell me how they overcame a phase of their life that I could never imagine walking through. We all have things that have made us stronger than we once were, and these things can often block you from seeing just how much you have made it through. If you are that person who fails to see just how strong you are, know people around you see this feature in you every day.
You are loved
I think everyone in life struggles with the question, "Am I really loved?" at some point in their life. And the answer to this question is absolutely! I will be the first to tell you that I am loved. I am so undeserving of the love I come in contact with everyday. However, not everyone is blessed with feeling loved by people of the world. Even when you feel as if you are not loved and not wanted, know that there is a God and He loves you more than you could ever fathom. Know that He wants you to walk with Him and let His love shine through you.
You are important
Often times in this crazy world, we feel as if we are not important. In my own life, I get caught up in the busyness of this world and i often forget to slow down. I forget to tell myself how important I am to God and also to the people around me. Sometimes we feel as if our life and our never-ending problems are unimportant and bothersome. Know that is not true! Know that your life and all the little aspects of it are important, and someone cares. So keep pushing on and let someone else know just how important they are too!
You are beautiful
As someone who struggles to find the beauty within myself some days, I understand that it can be difficult to feel beautiful. The world has taught us that it is "pretty" to be severely skinny, and that is the only definition of beauty given. But that is not true whatsoever. Every single person is beautiful. When you are critiquing yourself in that mirror you've already stared at for entirely too long, know that your flaws are perfectly imperfect. Know you have a purpose, a calling, and a drive.. that is beauty! After all, God made us in His image and that makes us beautiful!
Remember: you are strong, you are loved, you are important, and you are beautiful! Next time you start to doubt that remember Romans 12:2.
"Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will."