beth[e]bird: 09.11

Saturday

the other side

if you had one chance to tell your son/daughter something, what would it be? for one of my classes, i had to write a letter to my future daughter, giving her advice about the wonderful world of adolescence. it was a hard assignment, but well worth the time. here's what i would want my little girl to know about growing up...

My sweet daughter,

I want you to know how proud I am of you. You never cease to go beyond my expectations, my dreams for you. You truly are one of a kind, a special Princess. Others will try to confuse you and tell you differently. Don’t listen to them! God has created you perfectly just the way you are. He has placed that crown on your head and called you His child… no bad guys can steal that away from you. Make sure to keep your crown safe, to protect it at all times. Remember when Snow White thought her stepmother was helping her but really she was the evil witch? The same thing can happen in life. Sometimes your friends will turn out to be the “bad guys”… they’ll hurt your feelings, ruin your pretty ball gown, or even steal your precious glass slipper and run away with the Prince. But always remember whom you belong to and where you come from. You come from your father and me, who love you dearly and support you always. And you belong to Christ. He is the best Prince—no, King—of all! He never runs out of pixie dust, His carriages never turn back into pumpkins. Rely on Him for strength, for wisdom, for everything.

Growing up is not always fun; Peter Pan figured that one out pretty quick, didn’t he? Unfortunately, you can’t fly away to Neverland. But I know you have much more courage and strength than Peter did to face the fears of growing up. I must warn you, the road ahead is not easy; you will grow not only intelligently and spiritually but physically as well. All those big gowns you used to play dress up with will suddenly fit you as you blossom into a beautiful young woman. Becoming a teenager is a time when you will get very self conscious about yourself: you’re too short or too tall, your smile is crooked, your freckles look silly. You will feel like you’re the only one experiencing these emotions, but I promise you every girl (and guy!) your age is feeling the exact same way.

Don’t accept the lie that beauty is flawless and perfect. We all have issues and things we dislike about ourselves. But don’t be ashamed of these things. Embrace yourself as God designed you! Magazines will give you advice on what to look like and how to dress in order to attract guys, and friends may encourage you to eat less so you stay skinny. DON’T LISTEN TO THEM. They’re wrong. You are beautifully and wonderfully made, and God couldn’t be more proud of His gorgeous daughter!

Your outward appearance isn’t what matters most anyway… it’s your heart. Your precious crown. Guard it with your life. Don’t give it to just anyone. Wait for the right Prince to come along. It probably won’t be obvious at first; he won’t gallop into town riding a noble steed or throw rocks at your window while reciting poetry. But be patient… God has a man out there for you and will bring him along when He knows it’s right. In the meantime focus on falling more in love with your King. There is nothing more rewarding than being in the presence of your Savior.

I hope you remember how much I love you and again, how proud I am of you. I know you have what it takes to overcome these next few years of embarrassing zits, weird chocolate cravings, and emotional roller coasters. Don’t let little things bring you down… keep your chin up and “press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God.”

Life isn’t a fairy tale… but if you let God be the narrator, you'll find out it just might be.