Originally published on the author’s blog

Hey you, yeah you . . . the bleary-eyed mom at the bus stop with the rumpled hair and yesterday’s shirt embellished with fingerprint smears of jelly. 

YOU ARE WORTH IT.

And you, beautiful one . . . who finds no representation of your present reality among the pages of the latest fashion magazines.

YOU ARE WORTH IT.

And you, brave soul . . . with the scars of combat written on your heart and the ugliness of mankind forever etched across your memories.

YOU ARE WORTH IT.

And you, little one . . . with the big ideas that no one seems to pay attention to . . . yet.

YOU ARE WORTH IT.

And you, young woman . . . with the beautiful swollen belly carrying the promise of new life and no one with whom to celebrate. 

YOU ARE WORTH IT.

And you, quiet one . . . sitting alone at the cafeteria table, wishing that you would be able to disappear into a crack in the floor rather than endure the utter loneliness one more second.

YOU ARE WORTH IT.

And you, weary parent . . . with a cart full of kids and groceries using your EBT card while internally deflecting the stares and judgment from those around you.

YOU ARE WORTH IT.

And you, gray-haired man . . . sitting alone in your easy chair wondering if anyone is thinking about you today.

YOU ARE WORTH IT.

And you . . . with the handicapped placard on your car, feeling often that people don’t look past your disability to see the real you.

YOU ARE WORTH IT.

And you, oh dear child . . . who has grown up in a broken system in lots of different houses, but no home to call your own.

YOU ARE WORTH IT.

And you, invisible one . . . so willing and hopeful but always seeming to get passed over.

YOU ARE WORTH IT.

And you . . . who has used up a lifetime supply of grace and mercy already only to need it once again.

YOU ARE WORTH IT.

And you . . . the one who serves quietly and faithfully in the shadows.

YOU ARE WORTH IT.

And you . . . the one growing up right in the middle of a jumble of kids often called by several other names before hearing yours.

YOU ARE WORTH IT.

And you . . . the one with nicknames like “nerd” and “braniac”.

YOU ARE WORTH IT.

And you . . . with the perfectly styled hair and immaculate clothes hiding the hurt behind the facade of a “perfect” life.

YOU ARE WORTH IT.

And you . . . the one with life’s experiences written like a road map on your face.

YOU ARE WORTH IT.

And you . . . the one who messed up so badly that your living quarters are reduced to a 6 x 8 cell.

YOU ARE WORTH IT.

And you . . . the one whose residence status hangs in the balance.

YOU ARE WORTH IT.

And you . . . the one living in a war zone where peace and security are all but a distant memory.

YOU ARE WORTH IT.

And you . . . the one who is always smiling on the outside but your heart is broken into a million little pieces. 

YOU ARE WORTH IT.

And you . . . the one fighting the chains of addiction with everything you’ve got.

YOU ARE WORTH IT.

And you . . . oh young innocent one, treated as a commodity and trapped inside a world you never knew existed.

YOU ARE WORTH IT.

So what is your life worth? It depends who you ask, I suppose. Everywhere we turn, there are sources of information, but they are heavy laden with opinion and misinformation, ulterior motives and just plain old lies.

The best place to get the most accurate answer to that question . . . the truth, in fact . . . is from the words of the One who created you, who breathed His breath of life into you.

Did you know that before you were even born, He ordered your days? He wrote your story, a love story of your life, with all the love that exists. You are not a mistake. Your life is not a mistake. Not even in the slightest. God actually created you in His image, and you were His crowning achievement topping off six days of creation!

You are His prized possession, His child, and His friend. You exist not because the “universe” made it happen, but because He knit you together in your mother’s womb.

And only you are uniquely qualified to carry out His plans and purposes for your life. No one else can do it!

Maybe you’ve had a detour or two along the way, by your choice or by the actions of others. It doesn’t matter . . . at all. Guess what–God knew about that, too! He sacrificed His son Jesus specifically to cover all of our mess-ups. So, the life, the calling, the purpose is still before you waiting for you and only you to take it and run with it.

I bless you to see yourself as God sees you starting right now. To ignore the opinions and values of a flawed system and to hear with your heart what God is speaking over you every moment of every day.

What does His voice sound like? It sounds like love, and hope, and promise. If you hear words that leave you with despair and without hope, those are not from God. Disregard those. Listen closely, and you’ll hear Him, and if you have trouble deciphering what you’re hearing, ask someone that you know is sound spiritually to help you and pray with you. And, of course, I’d love to help. 

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