The young woman looked in the mirror and tears filled her big blue eyes as she saw her reflection. Her hands flew up to her cheeks as her eyes widened and she cried out, “Oh my goodness! I am pretty!”
This beautiful young woman lived her life feeling unworthy and invisible. She came to the Prom Dress Swap with her boyfriend, who sat off to the side inconspicuously. She had tried on several dresses, all racy styles in black and red, but didn’t really like any of them. Ethel, one of the elder ladies watching the girls pick out dresses, gently asked her to try on an aqua blue dress that was a little more modest.
When she came out in that blue dress her boyfriends eyes lit up. The blue brought out her eyes, and enhanced her shiny blond curls. Her cheeks were rosy with excitement and her smile brought a rare twinkle to her eyes. As I watched this scene play out in front of me, I had tears in my eyes too.
This girl instantly captured my heart. I watched the young couple come in hesitantly, but with hope that this was where she would find that special dress. Neither one of them had on coats on this cold February day. Her clothes were clean but worn and outdated.
This Prom Dress Swap had been advertised to everyone, but most of the girls who came didn't have the money for a new dress and knew this was their best chance to find the perfect dress. The only cost to them was to model it for the elder women who were watching and sometimes giving some unsolicited advice, as was the case here.
The young woman fingered the material of several dresses as she looked at them longingly. She shared with me that she had never seen dresses so beautiful. She seemed to gravitate to the black and red dresses that washed out her pale skin . . .until Ethel suggested the blue dress.
You see that young woman didn’t see her value. Her boyfriend brought her because her parents couldn’t. She lived in a world that didn’t offer her much. She made it clear that this was her best chance to get a nice dress for prom. She was excited when she saw that we were offering this event but she was also afraid to get her hopes up again only to be let down.
Do you ever feel like you are not enough? That you’re not educated enough, smart enough or creative enough to do what God is calling you to do. Are you afraid to go to bible study because you don’t want to fumble through your Bible looking for verses or perhaps you look at other Moms and think they have it together when you live in chaos? Maybe you don’t think you fit in anywhere or can’t find anyone to listen.
Can I just tell you that you are the daughter of a King? He knows the number of hairs on your head, knows your every thought and loves you more than you can understand. He loves you so much that he made the choice to send Jesus from His throne in heaven to live in a broken world and die a painful death on a cross to offer you eternity. You are more than enough for Him.
Ethel saw this young woman’s worth. Much like God see’s the worth in us, she saw her beauty both inside and out. No one had ever told this lovely young girl she was beautiful, her family was mired in so much they didn’t have the time or maybe even the ability to let her know she was loved. But Ethel took her under her wing, helped her pick the best dress for her, told her how beautiful she was and how much God loved her.
“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” 1 Peter 2:9
The next time you feel like you don’t fit in, that you don’t have the education you think you need or simply that you are not enough, remember that you are the daughter of a King, God’s special possession and He is calling you out of the darkness! He loves you completely and unconditionally.
“Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever!” Ephesians 3:20
