God made YOU special.

Princess P came home from church a while back and casually said, "____ said my lips were too big and looked funny. That was weird, right?"

Wow. This was our first brush with the snarky girl comments you hear about. She's 8. And it has never even crossed my mind (and I can nitpick with the best of them) that her lips were big.

It hadn't crossed hers either.

Until that night.

I was so shocked that I don't even remember what I said but assured her that every single piece of her was perfectly made my God just the way He wanted her to be. And we then talked about how some people might be insecure so they pick on other people. Talked about how it made her feel and how she should remember to never talk about how others look either. The way we look isn't a choice in most cases. God choose it and doesn't make mistakes.

She seemed completely unphased but it in the way she talked, but brought it up several more times that night and over the next few days. Just little things like, "That was sure weird when ____ said that." would be heard in passing so I know she took it to heart and was chewing on it.

It made me so mad at first. How dare some little "darling" say things like that to upset someone else. But now that time has past (it took me a long time to finish this post!) I'm better.

It was a good (hard) lesson that the only opinion that matters is God's opinion. We need to be secure enough in ourselves that even when people say things (true or untrue), we need to filter it through His eyes.

And what if He HAD made her with huge lips, or crossed eyes, or one arm, or anything that the world would deem not-perfect? Does that mean He made a mistake and she isn't "fearfully and wonderfully" made? Does that make her worth less than others? Nope. God made us all different and all exactly how He wanted us to be.  And you know what else? He really doesn't care so much how you look outside...He's more concerned with your heart! Praise God for her beautiful heart...that is just a radiant as her beautiful outside.

 

This is a good time (yes, now, however old your kids are) to talk to them about being kind to others, how words hurt, and how God made everyone and loves them exactly the way they are.

I hope my kids never point out differences in others and make them feel self conscience about them. When I asked P what she said to the little girl when she said that, she replied, "hmmm...I think they look alright" and walked on. LOL. I love her so much!!