You turned three today.
You are a perfect picture of carefree beauty. Life bubbles up from inside of you and spills over your edges. You are a compassionate heart, a considerate spirit, a breath of life and freedom.
Years from now, as you look back on these words, my prayer is that you would not only appreciate my love for you, but you would also see the love of your Heavenly Father who has guided you along the way.
There are so many things that I want to teach you as you grow. There are so many things that every young girl deserves to have planted in her heart as she becomes the woman that God has called her to be. The world is working aggressively to shape you into its own version of woman. I will do everything in my power to help you become a true picture of beauty, a complete giver of grace and an unceasing believer in love.
But few of them are popular. Very few of the things that you need to KNOW will be truths you find anywhere else. It is my job to teach you anyway.
Love quickly. The world would warn that you should withhold love. It would encourage you to love sparingly and withdraw love easily. But I say, don’t be afraid to show others love. It changes atmospheres. It breaks down barriers. It wins every time. Just as Christ’s love for us doesn’t run out, our love for others should be the same. Let Him love others through you. It is the purpose behind all we do.
Forgive easily. The world would encourage you to hold grudges, to keep enemies, to pay back fairly what was given. But I say, forgive as easily as you breathe. Unforgiveness is an open wound that can easily infect all areas of your life. Choosing to forgive doesn’t mean the pain didn’t happen. It means that you are making the decision to release yourself from the captivity of anger and bitterness that came with the offense. It is life-changing, and it brings more peace than retribution ever will.
Give grace freely. The world would ask you to measure yourself and others to its unreachable standards. Refuse. Give yourself the grace to be enough just as you are, and give others grace to be enough as well. Don’t put impossible expectations on yourself or anyone else. It is okay not always be okay.
Embrace contentment swiftly. The world would have you seek more. More is the one thing that you will never be able to attain. There is no end to it. You will never have it all. Things won’t make you happy. They won’t secure your peace. They won’t encourage your heart. Find contentment in the life that you have been given. Praise God for who He is and not just what you have.
Engage others gently. The world would encourage me to make you strong. It would have you build up walls that cannot be torn down. It would remind you that tenderness is a sign of weakness. But I say, gentleness isn’t an indication of inferiority. It is the surest sign of confidence. When your strength comes from the Lord, you don’t have to doubt your resilience. You can engage others gently, confident that the source of your power doesn’t waver.
Love God passionately. The world would require you to moderate your love. It would require you to censor your words. It would laugh at your radical belief in His goodness and salvation. But I say, proclaim boldly the unending love of the Savior. Let His grace guide your every encounter. Overflow with the presence and promise of the coming King. Trust in His unfailing love, and rest in the sweetness of His peace. Don’t just be a hearer of His Word, become one of which others can say, “When no one else would. She did. She loved. She gave. She helped. She forgave. She sought. She found. She saved.”
Above all, remember that you are a daughter of the King – an heir to Heavenly promise – precious, powerful, and His. My prayer for you, my sweet daughter, is that you would grow in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and with man, so that others would encounter you and know that they have seen Christ’s love.
Until then, I will do my best to teach you all of these things, by living them myself. Because it isn’t just what I hope you will become, it is what I pray you will witness along the way.
