Like, Princess Pretty

I have always struggled with my skin. I have acne, rosacea, hyper-pigmentation, and scar very easily. A lot of the time, when I have a breakout it is very noticeable. For someone already struggling with comparison and confidence, this is a really difficult thing to handle. All that to say, it's been rough lately.

Well this last week, I had had a day that was really bad and I was really down on myself because of it. Despite not feeling it, I got up, threw on some mascara and lip gloss (because you're not supposed to put makeup over acne), and headed out the door to work. I was going about my day as I normally would, when this little girl and her mom walked into the store. I greeted them as I do every customer, and went about my business. That's when something interesting happened. The little girl came over to the counter that I was at and said hi to me. No big deal, right? Well she then goes on to talk about how our nails are matching, but then just stops and goes silent. Y'all, I've babysat a lot of kids and if there's one thing I've learned, it's that kids have no filter. So my mind went to the worst, thinking she probably just noticed the crazy breakout on the side of my face. A few seconds goes by, then she smiles and says, "You're really pretty ma'am. Like, princess pretty." I about cried. This little girl, who had no idea what I was going through or dealing with, absolutely made my day. She had no idea that I was tearing myself down in my mind, she just took the time to say something nice.

I'm sharing this story with you because that little girl changed my life. Those seven words changed me. How often do we see someone and instantly find their flaws? How often do we look at ourselves and do the same thing? This little girl looked past my fears, past my insecurity, and past my flaws to give me a genuine compliment. GOD IS THE SAME WAY! He can see our sins, mess ups, flaws, imperfections, everything, and still loves it all. He treasures every part of us because He created every part of us.

Not only did this girl compliment me, she went above and beyond by giving me the best compliment I've every received. She made sure I knew that she thought I was "like, princess pretty." This is a whole other level in my mind. If you've watched any Disney princess movie ever, you will know that they always look flawless, put together, gorgeous, and all around perfect. Even real life princesses like Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle walk with confidence, elegance, grace, and as if they know their worth. As heirs to the Kingdom of God, why should we hold ourselves as anything less? We are princes and princesses, so why do we walk around like peasants and servants? You are not a beggar at the feet of Jesus, you are an heir waiting for their crown. You are loved, seen, heard, beautiful, desired, and worthy. Hold yourself that way.