Hearbreak or Happiness; either way, God has made you BEAUTIFULLY <3

"For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well." Psalm 139:13-14

So I thought boy troubles in high school were bad. Wow, was I mistaken. I have only lived on my floor here at school two weeks and I have already seen everything from heartbreak to happiness in my fellow women thanks to the males of our world.

I've been wanting to write on here again for a while, but I didn't quite have anything riveting to share. Personally, God has been teaching me how to trust and follow him. This has not been an easy lesson, but it's a pretty standard one I think: I want to know what's going to happen and how and when, and God says chillax, I've got this one.

Apart from that, though, I've really been praying mostly for the people around me. I find that every night my list gets longer, but I'm ok with that. So, in light of recent events on our floor, and a nice chat I had with my lovely friend Lissa today on the way to church, I just want to explore our incredible God and how he has made us ladies-beautifully.

There is a bulletin board down the hall from my room that says just that, and I love it. It is so vital that we girls be reminded of that daily-that God has made us beautifully. This morning at church, a guy shared a testimony about going to India on a mission that saved girls from sex traficking. He shared a story with us about one day, they went around the room and the girls said what they though was beautiful. The sun, nature, etc, were common answers, until one girl said "Me. I am beautiful." Wow! What an amazing proclomation from a girl who had lived a life of horrors of which I can't imagine. But she is so right. No matter what country you live in, what your skin color is, what size jeans you wear, or how freckled your face is, God has made you beautifully.

So, that's awesome, right. I can say that all day, but do we believe it? I ask that because all down the hall I see girls who don't. Not all, all the time, but at some point, every girl in the world has thought, wow, I look like crap. I'm guilty of it, we all are I would bet. But that's not ok. Who are we to scoff at God's creation, saying, you should've made me more like her. It's so dangerous a thing to do that! Once in the business of comparing, our self image only gets worse. Then, what happens? Self-esteem goes down the tube and we go from thinking of ourselves as God's beautiful creation to not worth too much of anyone's time.

There is an amazing girl on this floor who is sweet, cute and fun. She is beautiful. Does she believe it? I don't think so. See, like many of us, she has settled for someone becuase he makes her feel loved, he gives her attention. But when he treats her like crap, she deals, because she doesn't think she's worth the time of someone who will love her for her inner beauty, and not just her outer. She lies to herself, saying that she's blowing it out of proportion, all the bad stuff he does and says. She tells herself that she should be cooler with it, and not be so needy.

Well that's a lie.
Our Creator made us exactly the way he wanted to. To Him, we are beautiful creations. And any guy who thinks any less of you than that, and I mean ANY less, is not the man that God designed perfectly to fit you, his beautiful creation. God did not just cut out a bunch of paper dolls, throw them on the table and see who landed together! No, he made the perfect girl to fit and compliment her perfect guy. Our Creator is all powerful, why would he make people almost fit? God didn't make our bodies work kind of. He didn't make sure the lungs worked most of the time and then check it off his list. God doesn't allow a margin of error! He does what he wants, and why on earth would he send his Son to die for a creation that wasn't all that? He loved us that much, why would he not make us perfectly as he intended?

Luke records Jesus' words, "Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass, which is alive in the field today, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will he clothe you, O you of little faith!"

God made the lilies. They are my favorite flower and, I think, quite beautiful. Would he not make his last creation, his creation for which all else was created, mankind, just as beautiful? It's not like God got tired when he got to women and said ehh-whatever. No! Quite the opposite.

Genesis tells us that when Adam was in the garden, God found that it was not good for man to be alone. God says that he would make a helper fit for him. So all the animals came to Adam and he named them. Among all of the creatures God created, though, none was found suitable. So God decided to make a helper fit for him, woman. (Genesis 2:18-23)

Now we all know the creation story, but I've had to read over this again several times for my OT history class, and it's struck me how amazing God is. He makes everything perfectly. And this isn't a shocker to me, but it's still incredible to think about! God is amazing, and he has made each one of his creations exactly as he intended. With a perfect plan(Jer 29:11), and perfectly (Psalm 139:14).

At CIY, Mark Moore told his next level class that girls needed to be told everyday that they are beautiful, and he was exactly right. If you are a guy, do not be afraid to say that your girlfriend, best friend, sister or daughter is beautiful. Because I promise she needs to hear it. Ladies, build your fellow women up, don't tear them down to make yourself feel better. It's tempting I know, but so harmful to both of you.

Remember, ladies, you are beautiful, and you are worth it. God has made someone special for you. He is perfect for you and he is exactly what you need, becuase God knows that waaay better than we think we do. So don't freak if he's not come around yet. Don't get mixed up in the losers who don't think you're as beautiful as you are. And, most important, don't settle. God didn't settle when he made you, so don't settle for less than the amazing man you deserve. And you really do deserve the best, because God has made you beautifully.