A Letter to My Younger Sister
Jul 30, 2024
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First and foremost:
Thoughts are thoughts. That is it. They are not the truth, they are not definitively bad or good, they are not right or wrong, they are not actions, they are not events, they are not reality. Yes, thoughts add to our realities and in part assist in creating our realities, but they are not the holy grail of our existence. Please know that YOU are NOT your thoughts. You are so much more. So much more. You are so loved.
You are made exactly the way you are supposed to be. Right now, there is not one thing “wrong” with how you look. I know. The lies you have been told growing up, (trust me I have a hard time distinguishing them as lies too) that we have to be a certain way to be beautiful and be accepted and be loved, are ridiculously false. It actually could not be further from the truth. Something I think about a lot when I struggle with my body is that throughout my life, the people who were truly meant to be in my life have loved me at EVERY weight I have been at. Trying to look the way people told me I needed to made my life hell on earth. I had to learn that it was all a lie the hard way. You don’t have to and I will do everything I can to make sure you never will. You are beautiful, smart, talented, kind-hearted, and loved.
You are made in the image of God, who is PERFECT. He made us in HIS likeness. He does not lack ANYTHING. So no matter what your brain or other people may tell you, you are perfect. The only opinion that truly matters is that of God, and I can tell you that in His eyes, in the eyes of our Father, there is no flaw in you. You do not need to change anything about yourself. God does not make mistakes.
Advice for when you are struggling to believe this:
Replace the lies you are hearing with the truth. Any time you hear words that make you feel like you are less than, unworthy, or unlovable- talk back to it. Using scripture to replace the lies in your head helps take the pressure off of yourself (sometimes it's hard to come up with something true, especially when the mind is flooded with lies). So I suggest, going straight to the Word of God. The One who created you, who knows every single thing about you and loves you more than you could ever comprehend. Doing this and practicing it over and over and over is so beneficial in the long run. Rewiring your brain this way will be worth it, but it takes intention and work to make it stick.
A good book to practice with is in the book of Psalm 139. These are a few of my favorites:
"O Lord, you have researched me and known me! You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar."
Psalm 139: 1-2
"For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.”
I love you!
