Every night during her bath, I make it a point to speak truth over this babe of mine. I tell her: <\/p>\n\n\n\n
You are loved… <\/p>\n\n\n\n
You are valuable… <\/p>\n\n\n\n
You are worthy… <\/p>\n\n\n\n
You are a light… <\/p>\n\n\n\n
You can do anything… <\/p>\n\n\n\n
…because God made you and loves you. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
He has an awesome plan for your life. He listens to you and cares about every little thing. You have nothing to fear. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
I hope these words cement in her brain like a firm foundation. I hope she claims them as her own. I pray that they will entangle themselves in her identity so that nothing will be able to strip them away. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Then I look in the mirror and tell myself too. One day we became adults, and our childhood wonder gave way to worry. No one spoke this truth over us nightly anymore. Instead of speaking it to ourselves, life challenged us and broke us, and we forgot that truth was already ours. Culture screamed that we had to go looking for it…in boys and money and work and other people\u2019s opinions. But we tried all of that, and it all fell short. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
This last year especially, I\u2019ve been learning that truth, and my identity and my worth has been right there all this time. HE has been right there all this time. Oh, how much pain I could have avoided if I didn\u2019t decide to search for what I already have. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
I want so badly to change the narrative for her, to keep her from the confusion of growing up and wrestling to find her identity, truth and faith in what the world offers. I want her to remember our sweet nighttime whispers and trust that mama knows best – that she can stake her life on this truth. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
I want her to know that what\u2019s true for her is true for me too. What\u2019s true for her is true for her neighbors and peers and even the people that are hard to love. That truth doesn\u2019t go away with age, hurt or circumstance. But, when you grow, you take ownership of leaning into it yourself. No one else can do it for you. The best part is, you can run away from it and ignore it and spit on it, and yet you can claim it back anytime you want. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
I know one day my words won\u2019t be enough, and that breaks this mama\u2019s heart. But I pray she keeps these words close and knows she can\u2019t go too far to escape them. And one day, she might speak them over her own daughter. \u2764 <\/p>\n\n\n\n
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