Dear Daughter
Dear Daughter,
We think we have to work, to earn, to be worthy
But your worth doesn’t lie in what the world can see.
No, dear sister, your worth doesn’t lie
In the size of your hips
Or the shade of your eyes
Or the words of those
Who blame, and shame, and criticize.
When it comes to assigning your worth,
There is only One who’s qualified.
He’s the One who made you, who formed you, purposefully.
He’s also the One who stretched His arms wide
Who was never too busy, never surprised
When a dear Daughter came to Him.
A woman at a well.
A woman with blood.
A woman lamenting.
A woman-child dying.
They came to Him, and He came to them.
Defying culture and expectation and popular opinion.
They came to Him, and He answered them:
Dear Daughter, I came just for you.
Then He carried that Cross.
And He bled on that Cross.
He rescued the lost
When He laid it all down for you, for me.
The rips in His skin, they cried out, “Don’t you see?”
And all of Heaven and Hell heard Him say clearly,
This is what my Dear Daughter means to me.
She who pours out… she who gives… she who serves… must be filled up. Rest, dear sister, and let His love fill you up full.
“I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well” (Psalm 139:14).
“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart” (Jeremiah 1:5).
“Cast all your cares on Him, for He cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7).
“You are altogether beautiful, my darling; there is no flaw in you” (Song of Songs 4:7).
(For Scripture references to the stories above, see John 4:11, Matthew 9:20, John 11:3, and Mark 5:41, respectively.)
What ways can we draw our souls closer to His love? Quiet time with Him in nature? Worshiping Him through song? Soaking in words from His Word?
Will you join me, dear sister, in taking some time this weekend… just to soak in His love? It’s an investment we’ll never regret.
Trusting in our Cross-Carrier,
Laura Jane