Girls

I've been so inspired by media lately! Watch this before you read.

praise from the upright is beautiful.

psalm 33:1

Watching that precious child dance reminded me of a church service in Manaus, Brazil. While the band was playing and leading us in worship [in Portuguese] two girls dressed in purple went to the front and began to dance. I watched them the whole time. I felt like God was using them as vessels to pour out His joy and delight to all of us.

And I can still remember a time at my home church, years ago, when one of the men who sang on our worship team did a solo song and his little girl danced around the stage in a pink dress. I could barely hold it together.

I love the innocence and beauty of little girls. It's tragic that so many young girls all over the world are never purely loved or delighted in. Reading in my Voice for the Voiceless book I am appalled by statistics about rape, trafficking, dowries for young brides, and murder of female babies. The book Captivating makes a very good point for the reason women are so attacked by evil. I encourage you to read it.

I remember feeling many times growing up that beauty is dangerous. People tend to do crazy and awful things to acquire something beautiful. I wouldn't say that I grew up in fear necessarily, but I did feel it many times. Instead of feeling affirmed and confident when people (especially older men) told me I was beautiful, I would shrink back and want to hide it. I believe that we as girls are meant to show the beauty of our Creator in a way that few other created things can. That should be celebrated and treasured! But as we all know, that is a rarity. And so it is with our broken world, fallen from pure perfection.

God is still working on my heart: calling me away from lies & calling me to know who He made me to be; helping me to love and appreciate myself so I can better love and appreciate others.

A friend once told me this: "you are becoming-- as God reveals Himself to you, you reveal more of yourself to others." Truth.

I often feel like I am still a little girl, longing for love yet hiding myself away when it comes. But there are times when I feel His delight, see it coming through everything and everyone around me, and I cannot explain the assurance and worth spoken to me in those times.

I love this, from Max Lucado's book, God Thinks You're Wonderful.

God is fond of you. If He had a wallet, your photo would be in it. If He had a refrigerator, your picture would be on it. He sends you flowers every spring and a sunrise every morning.

He can live anywhere in the universe... and He chose your heart. Face it, friend. He's crazy about you. As much as you want to see Him, He wants to see you more.

If you want to touch God's heart, use the name He loves to hear.

Call him Father.