more precious than rubies.

Here are two stories from two of our Sisters. We hope these testimonies from Lauren H. and Bella F. encourage you.

Hi! I'm Lauren.

Growing up, especially in middle school, I never felt as though I was pretty enough because I thought my two best friends were way prettier than me. I thought I'd never have a good enough body, never be athletic enough, funny enough, popular enough, or smart enough. I really struggled with comparing myself to my two really good friends.

When I got to high school, it was really hard until I grew in a personal relationship with God. When I learned how God sees me, I started to see myself differently.

Matthew 6:26 says, “Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your Heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?” 

God made the beautiful sunsets we watch, the blue ocean we see, the amazingly tall trees that grow, and yet He created us even more valuable, even more beautiful. So, we do not have to be insecure. We do not have to compare ourselves to others. We do not have to let society tell us what we have to look like. God made us the way we are, we are His workmanship, created in His image. God looks at you and sees a work of art.

If God, who is PERFECT, made YOU, how wonderful are you?

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Hey! I'm Bella.

When I was little, I struggled with my image. I was always taller than everyone growing up, I felt that I stood out in an embarrassing way. I hated my hair, I wished it was straighter. I hated my skin tone, I wanted it to be lighter like other kids in my class. I have struggled in school my entire life. I have had my fair share of comparison battles, getting made fun of for my learning differences and feeling like an outsider because of my struggles academically. Learning that my worth and identity are not in my grades or what my outward appearance was a place where I was stuck in for many years.  I would always compare myself to others and wish I looked more like them. Only if I had straighter hair. Only if I had lighter skin. Only if I wasn't so tall. Only if I was smarter in school. ONLY IF…

The phrase “ONLY IF” is scary. It’s saying what we have isn’t good enough. Jesus says the opposite of you. He says you are enough. You are secure. Once I started to believe what He says of me rather than what the world says about me, my world changed. I became confident. My outlook changed. I was really believing, which can be scary at times, but beautiful.

Many of you could be in a similar place. It could be on your outward appearance, like what I struggled with, or it could be inward. Struggling alone is painful, so God is here for you. No matter what season of life you are in, He is here, ready, with His arms stretched out wide waiting for you to run towards Him. 

Below is an excerpt from “Graceful: Letting go of Your Try-Hard Life." I hope these truths encourage you!

Because of Jesus, You are enough. You are secure. You are the salt of the earth. You are cared for. You are seen. You are forgiven. You are free. You have hope. God is love, and that means you are loved. God is peace, and His peace lives in you. God is enough, and you are filled with his enoughness. God is who he says He is, and he made you to be His beloved.