"You're beautiful..you know that, right?"

A few days ago, I was on a walk with one of my mentors. In the middle of our conversation, she stopped and looked at me and said the simple yet humbling statement of,

"You're beautiful..you know that, right?" 

I was very caught off guard by this question. Without much hesitation, I replied back with, "Yes." She went on to ask me about how I knew I was beautiful and what I thought made me beautiful. As we talked more and more about this topic and as I've processed this conversation over the past few days, I've come to the realization of how much our culture, especially women, struggle with knowing their self worth and their beauty (inner or outer) and how much our society doesn't talk about it or tries to mask it. 

I feel very blessed to have not ever really struggled with self worth issues. I've had incredibly strong women in my life that have displayed what knowing and living out their self worth meant and from a young age, my mom always told me that she admired how I felt so comfortable in my own skin. Although I didn't always know what this meant, I have come to realize what this means and the weight behind this statement. Although I've not always had a boyfriend or been the prettiest friend of the group, I've always known I was of value and that is something I'm learning that I can't take for granted. This isn't to say "look at me," but this is just something I'm so thankful for. 

As I've understood more of this topic within these past few years, I've done more and more research and have actually written a few papers and have done a few class projects on the topic of self image. From this, I've realized the amount of women within our society that struggle with knowing their self worth, because they feel if they don't have a boyfriend or they aren't the skinniest or prettiest friend, then they are of no value. I certainly don't think this is their fault, but something that our society has pressed upon them. So in hopes to be an encouragement and to speak truth, I hope you will know this is not what I believe. 

1 Peter 3:3-4 has become one of my favorite verses within the past few years; in fact it even hangs in my dorm hall. It states, "Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes. Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth to God." So what does these verses mean? I certainly don't think that wanting to have our hair and clothes look nice or wearing jewelry makes us not beautiful, however I think having a gentle and quiet spirit that loves God and others is so much more beautiful. 

There are so many lies that inhibit our minds and our beliefs about ourselves; however there are so many more truths that we can proclaim in knowing that we truly are beautiful, whether we feel like it or not. God says we are fearfully and wonderfully made, His masterpieces, and His beloved children. Let's have these statements be the ones that ring true in our lives. 

I hope that today you will be reminded that even in the midst of chaos, pain or disappointment, 

you are so beautiful, friend.