My dearest girls,

I pray you choose a life of purity. I pray you know you are fearfully and wonderfully madeā€”just the way you are. I pray you save yourself for the covenant of marriage. I pray you do noble things. I pray you grow in your knowledge and understanding of the Lord. I pray you pursue righteousness over the world. I pray you are humble and wise, not arrogant and loud. I pray you love Jesus with a wild abandon.

However, there will come a day you feel ashamed and unworthy. There will come a day you choose to rebel.

There will be people who tell you you are only valued if you are a virgin. Others will call you prude for waiting. There will be people who say your purpose is only found in the walls of your home, behind the stove, changing diapers, and folding clothes. There will be others who say your desire to stay home and raise babies lacks vision or perhaps even intellect. Some will argue you must have a few years of rebellion to truly live, while others will question your restoration based off the mistakes of the past.

But my darling girlsā€”

If you make bad grades.
If you choose a career.
If you choose to stay home. 
If you have debt.
If you donā€™t love everything about yourself. 
If you fall away for a while.
If you have doubts. 
If you arenā€™t pure. 
If you mess up.
If you fail.

You are never too broken to redeem. You are never too far to pursue. You are never too shamed to love.

Your Savior didnā€™t come and give His life for you to be trapped in your brokenness. He brought you freedom. He brought you life to be lived fully.

The tattoos of sin you see written upon your heart, the scars of those wounds, the shame and regret, are all covered by the blood of Jesus.

When you have achieved the greatest accomplishments of your life, I will be thereā€”cheering. When you stand before your groom, sanctified, taking that holy vow, I will be thereā€”beaming. When you bring children into this world, I will be thereā€”praising. When you learn how to balance the duties of work and home, I will be thereā€”inspired. When you fall flat on your face, broken, ashamed, I will meet you there, on my kneesā€”praying.

While I will continue to pray the very best for you.
While I will hope you will seek righteousness above all else.
While I will teach you according to Godā€™s Wordā€”

I will also be the testimony of healing after brokenness, redemption after shame, forgiveness after sin.

I will be the evidence of a Saviorā€™s unending love, the beautiful restoration that takes place in His embrace.

I will walk before youā€”

A sinnerā€™s scars sanctified,
A debtor’s shame paid in full,
A rebel heart redeemed.

Always,
Mama.

This article originally appeared on Choosing Freelen

 

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Arianna Freelen

Arianna is the wife of a rugged man and a mom of three little princesses. She is a photographer, professional furniture re-arranger, purger of all the things, Celine Dion karaoke queen, and Vanilla Dr. Pepper drinker. She loves to write about her Savior, her role as a wife and mother, and finds fulfillment with her arms full of those she loves most. You can learn more about her life at www.choosingfreelen.com and @choosingfreelen.

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