You're beautiful

It's started.  Rachel was blowdrying and straightening her hair this morning - looking in the mirror and posing.  It was obvious that she was putting on her prettiest self.  As I was watching her, every ounce of my being wanted to hold her and shout into her soul that she is the most beautiful girl in the world - that she was more precious to me than anything - that her interior beauty was the only thing that rivalled her exterior beauty - that no matter what her hair looked like that day or any day - that no matter what life brought her way, nothing would ever change the fact that she is beautiful and magnificent. 

In the back of my mind is the tragedy of Amanda Todd.  I'm wondering when the messages she was telling herself changed from being beautiful to being something else.  I'm praying that Rachel never allows the negative voices to drown out the shouts of her family and friends that want her to know how beautiful and magnificent she is.  I'm praying for the right friends - in particular, the right boys. 

I'm wondering if that's how God sees me.  I'm so concerned sometimes with saying the right things, doing the right things, being 'successful', impressing people, proving to myself and others that I'm worth something - and God wants to shout into my soul that I am beautiful.  I am magnificent.  I wonder if God's heart breaks for me the way that mine does when I see my kids insecure or hurting.