All The Same

He loves me all the same.

With messy hair,

Or perfect waves.

He sees me only one way.

He loves me all the same.

With a timid whisper,

Or a laugh as free as the wind.

He sees me only one way.

His love reaches farther than the eye can see.

It finds me in the darkest night,

And holds me when I’m weak.

He loves me for who I am,

Not what I do.

I wrote this poem when I was at my friends Christine and Alyssa’s house as I was spending time with God. I have been feeling insecure lately because I am in a Freshman PE class with the guy I like. I’m really bad at sports, so it has been very embarrassing.

I was upset about this for a while until that night when God spoke to me and prompted me to write this poem. I heard him say that he will love me no matter what, even if I don’t like myself. The Bible says that “he loved (us) at (our) darkest,” (Romans 5:8). He doesn’t want perfection; he just wants us as we are.

Two years ago I went to a summer camp with my youth group. When I was in chapel, I heard God say that he loves me. At the time I was struggling with self-hatred because I thought that I was awkward and that I wasn’t good at anything. He reminded me of a time earlier that week at camp when I had been roller skating with my youth pastor and some other friends. I was by far the worst at it, and I began to feel embarrassed and frustrated with myself because when most people were racing around the gym, I was having trouble even standing up straight. God told me that he loves me even at those worst, most embarrassing moments in life. He loves us for who we are and not what we do.

Today was Valentine's Day. It was the first Valentine's Day that I have actually enjoyed in two years. I loved the holiday when I was in grade school because everyone got Valentines and there was no dating drama, but as I went on to junior high and high school, it became all about dating. Valentine's Day went from a fun, little holiday about giving out cards and getting tons of candy to being a day that not having a boyfriend was rubbed in face all day.

This year I decided that I was going to bring it back to being about love. I bought Valentines for all my friends and family and starting praying for God to help me chose to focus on loving other people instead sulking about not having romance in my life. Today I gave my Valentines to people and had the best Valentine's Day ever. I was able to have so much fun seeing my friends and family lighten up when I gave them their gifts and God kept on reminding me about his love for me.

When I was getting ready to go on a run after I got home from school, God spoke to me in the most interesting way. I had just finished washing my hands and was watching the water go down the drain when I noticed that the soap bubbles on the bottom of the sink were in the shape of a perfect heart. In that moment God told me that he loves me. I know that might seem like a weird way for God to speak to me, but sometimes that’s what makes it so special. God is the only one who could think of something like that.

Valentine’s Day doesn’t have to be all about dating and drama. We can chose to make it about love when we remember that we are loved.

If you have any questions or would like to learn more about The C.A.N Sisters’ Ministry, leave a comment below, check out our website, or email us at cansistersministry@gmail.com.