through the eyes of a child

Recently I had an interaction with a child that left me pondering and reflecting on my own identity. Some might describe this barely three-year-old as a little fireball. She has long brown hair and big hazel eyes that quickly draw you in. She’s been through a lot in her little life. Her parents had her when they were very young, and they are lost in a spiral of their own entrapment. For the sake of privacy, we can call her Marie.

As I was sitting and playing with her, she grabbed my phone and her little fingers found my camera. As she stared at herself in it, she started making faces and being silly. I joined her in the fun. After taking a few funky photos of ourselves, I haphazardly, but also instinctively, started to speak the truth to her.

As I saw her little face reflecting in my phone’s camera I said, “Marie is beautiful.” Without any prompting at all she repeated, “Marie is beautiful.” We recorded it and then played it back. As she watched herself, she smiled so hard her big eyes were lost in her blooming cheeks. She turned the camera back towards herself and looked up at me. So we continued.

“Marie is loved.”

“Marie is loved.”

“Marie is a gift.”

“Marie is a gift.”

“Marie is important.”

“Marie is important.”

“Marie matters.”

“Marie matters.”

With each phrase, Marie grew stronger and more confident. She knew she was talking about herself, and she delighted in it. She squealed with joy as she spoke.

As I watched her, I thought to myself—how is she not only easily but also naturally speaking these words about herself? And why is it bringing her so much joy? I know for a fact that she has not been told these things before. I know that these words aren’t spoken around her. Still, Marie immerses herself in the truth of who she is as if she’s always known.

Getting lost in the interaction that this little girl was having with herself made me realize—this is what we were meant for. This is what we were created to be. We were created to know that we are loved, important, and valued. So often the sin of this world robs us of that knowledge. It robs us of knowing that we are chosen, that we are loved even beyond comprehension.

So often the lies cover up the truth. The worst part is that most of the time, we have no clue we are being lied to. We start to adopt these lies as our thoughts and feelings. We start to live by them and from them. And what once was a lie now becomes our identity, our way of life. We may feel lost or confused. We don’t know or realize just how far we have gotten from the truth. How far we have turned away from God, even. We forget who we are in Him and live out of what we feel like. Some even go as far as to claim it as the truth. 

I believe that in today’s world—maybe now more than ever—one of the greatest prayers we can pray is a prayer of revelation. I pray this prayer over myself, over the ones I love, and especially over every pair of eyes that reads these words. I pray that God so strongly reveals Himself. That we are able to fall to our knees and repent for getting so lost in the lies without even a second thought. I pray for strength and clarity to be open to what God wants to show us. I pray that our windows get washed, our goggles get taken off, and our ears are opened.  I pray that God reveals to us the truth that can reach each of us right where we are. It is His truth, the only truth, that can surpass any lie thrown at us, whether the lie is from the people around us, the things we read, the things we watch on TV, or even the things we tell ourselves. 

We don’t have to look very hard in this world to see so many people drowning in lies, in confusion, and in pain. I don’t believe God intends for us to live this way. When I close my eyes and remember sweet Marie speaking so confidently the truth of who she is, I am encouraged to seek that myself, every second of every day. And that is my encouragement for you also. I don’t know where you are as you read this, what your life is like, how you came to read this blog. But I do know that God is drawing you near, He wants to call you higher. He wants you to know that, just like Marie, you are beautiful. You matter. And you are so very loved by Him. I would even venture to say that if you take just a moment, close your eyes, and listen, you might just be surprised at what God wants to personally reveal to you.