Dear You

Dear you,

The whisper of the winds, the delicate, yet ferocious, skies dancing over mountain-tops, the blooms of sage and pine, the grandness of those rocks and boulders falling to the beat of their own drum, it is all beautiful, just as you are; the skin that has been worn and wrinkled over your years, the cracked skin on your large and skinny feet from many miles walked on those soles, the wrist that still creaks and throbs when too much work has been done, the stomach that is never just flat enough, the fingernails that are always bitten and dirty from the world, the wrinkles around those pink lips left behind by faded smiles, the hundreds of freckles that cover arms, and legs, and knees, and cheeks from hours upon hours spent under the warmth of the sun, seeking and exploring the world. What can be more beautiful than those mountains, those hills overflowing with balsams and spruce, the tips that seem to never cease? What could possibly be more beautiful?

You.

I’ll tell you what is more wonderful than those mountains; your heart that has endured through trial, through grief, through joy, through pain, through disappointment, through change, and discipline, and obedience, and love, and peace, your spirit that has been cradled and protected by none other than your Creator, your mind which has been courageous, bold, and has sought to discover. Those are the things that are majestic. No mountain within the depths and heights of this world can compare to how beautifully and wonderfully you have been created. Your Father, He created you. He breathed life into you. He chose to love you. He guarded and protected you. He sought you. He desired you. He loves you.

Tell yourself how beautiful you are. Remind yourself that every flaw, every imperfection, every ounce of detail that you despise and attempt to cover under cloth, make-up, and hair, it is all perfectly, wonderfully, and beautifully made. From scars and wounds that are still pink, in such contrast with your white, pale skin, that are deep in contrast with your healing heart, collected from years of accidents, moments of pain, and memories of suffering, remember how beautiful you are. When you see yourself through another old and cracking bathroom mirror, through the reflection of blue water speckled with dirt, the subtle glance in a car window, tell yourself your worth.

Your worth is measureless. No words from fickle man and no scheme of destruction can lessen your worth. For you are not measured by the things of this world, the perfections and beauty of society, or even the limited view you see yourself. Your worth is measured by your Creator. He has defined your worth, and it is limitless, striking, and absolutely lovely. He has set the standard of beauty within your heart. For beauty is not dependent on the bones and skin that will only wither like the flowers after a cold, long winter. Your skin and bones will grow old, but you are beautiful.