To the Girl Looking for More With Grace Valentineনমুনা

More Self-Worth: To the Girl Ready to Love Herself

One day in seventh grade, I woke up with half my face paralyzed. And it was picture day.

When I smiled, only the left side of my face turned up. The right side was frozen. When I tried to raise my eyebrows, only half my forehead wrinkled. The other brow just sat there. And when I blinked, only one eye closed. I had a condition called Bell’s palsy.

My condition lasted for about two months. That’s considered a mild case of Bell’s palsy, but it felt like forever. Being in seventh grade was hard enough without half my face deciding to take half the semester off! I was embarrassed and felt ugly. But God taught me that there are more important things than a good photo.

This wasn’t the only time I struggled to love myself. As I grew older, I didn’t like my voice— it was high-pitched. I wasn’t as smart as I wanted to be— math was hard. And I didn’t like what I saw anytime I looked in the mirror. I hated who I was and felt I wasn’t worthy.

One day I woke up and thought, This sucks. But I realized what sucked wasn’t my frizzy hair or my acne. It sucked that I couldn’t love myself. I was ready to love myself, but I didn’t know how.

Do you struggle with self-love? Are you finally ready to love yourself as you are right now? Here are three things you can love yourself for:

• Your character. Remember, the most beautiful things you can wear are the fruits of the Spirit. Patience is prettier than your outfit, and gentleness is a rare gem. Your legacy is your love, not your looks. Speak kindness to others. Look for the good in others, and you’ll see the good in yourself.
• Your body’s purpose. Don’t think, I need body positivity! Life isn’t about being positive. It’s about being purposeful. Remember, you’re not a product to be enjoyed; you’re a child of God walking on mission. Use your arms to hug your friends. Allow your feet to take you to volunteer opportunities. Work out to stay healthy, not to punish yourself. Celebrate what God can do with your body.
• Your workmanship. You are beautiful not because of your appearance but because of who created you. And this Artist created you in the image of Himself. Don’t fix what He calls beautiful and has named as His.

Dear God, help me see myself the way You see me. Remind me that I don’t need positivity; I need purpose. The most beautiful thing I can do is walk with You in my heart. Help me live out the beauty of my salvation each day. Amen.