You Are Enough
One Wednesday I was in the middle school classroom at church and I noticed some writing on the wall. (If you’re a church kid, you know what I mean when I say not kind of writing on the wall) it was hard to read much through the random scribbles and basketballs and funny faces helped by an eraser that was probably as good as erasing as I am at cracking jokes but the first words I really read were “find a boyfriend” and then “lose weight.”
Excuse me? What? I was absolutely floored. These beautiful, creative, radically important babes are already feeling like they’re not enough and that there is something deeply, intrinsically wrong with them?
Initially I was heartbroken, I saw myself in these colorful chalk words: my hopes, disappointments, fears, and failures. Literally the epitome of my insecurities were put on display. Of the woman I should be by now. But I know now that having all of the things on my list won’t fill me, and I know this because beautiful, creative, wildly important women have spoken life and encouragement into my darkness and want and feeling like I’m not enough.
I didn’t know until someone told me.
And then I was angry. The fire breathing, scorching everything in its path kind of angry. How come no one has told them?! How do they not realize how worthy and beloved they are? I wanted to shake tangible love all over the sweet beings who wrote such heartbreaking words.
Yet, believing the other people are enough comes easy but sometimes it’s hard to believe about myself.
Y’all! They’re watching us! Whether you’re 12, 22, 32, or 82 younger girls are looking up to you. And I know that sometimes it feels like younger girls aren’t paying attention or that we can’t make change. But they are and we can. What we do matters, what we say matters, how we feel about ourselves matters, how we let people treat us matters! Young eyes are watching, and I for one am thankful for older women speaking truth and love over my life. And if you don’t have an older friend speaking into you allow me the privilege to tell you something.
You are enough.
Again, you👏🏿 are👏🏽enough👏🏻
You are a glorious work of art and the world needs what you have to offer. You don’t need a significant other. You don’t need a smaller pant size. You, as you are, are beautiful and wonderful. You are enough. Can you tell a friend that too?
