The Girl In The Pictures

Browsing through some saved photos on my computer, I specifically noticed a few from the past couple of summers that had particular memories attached. The memories were not about the actual day or event the photo had captured, however. My memories were about my instinctive reaction when first seeing myself in certain photographs---instantly thinking negatively towards myself, nit-picking perceived "flaws," and seeing all kinds of things “wrong” with the girl in the pictures. More than just the common reaction of seeing unflattering photos, I had actually felt down on myself after viewing my image on camera.

But here I was just a few nights ago, a year after first looking at those same photos, and wondering what I had been so worried about. Sure, everyone on earth won't be physically attracted to me. I'm not trying to be crowned as the winner of any beauty pageants. But I also don’t see why, a year ago, I looked at those pictures and felt like crying.

I have that part of myself which often feels like an ordinary girl, but I also have the stronger part that knows God loves me, has individual plans for me, and sees every part of me as something he lovingly designed. So can I really be all that bad?

I actually felt some compassion for the girl in the pictures. I felt as if I was looking at someone else and thinking, "Why were you so hard on her? Why did you tell that poor girl she wasn't pretty enough? How did you fall into believing that her worth depended upon other people deciding she had the right look and right personality?" 

I don’t want to waste any more precious, limited moments flinging insults at myself…“You look small today. You look big today. You don’t look like her. You have too much wrong with you. You’re not what anyone wants.” I would never speak such words to my little cousins, students, friends, anyone. I don’t want to treat the girl in the pictures like that anymore either. 

That girl does not deserve being told she looks wrong or isn’t good enough or is unwanted. She doesn't need to believe the lie that she will not be accepted unless she changes. If nothing else, she really had no legitimate reason to look at the girl in the pictures last year and cry over her lack of worth.

And neither do you.