It was school picture day: a.k.a the “worst day ever” for my sweet daughter. Nothing was going right for her that morning. Even though we picked out her outfit last night and discussed how I would curl her hair, she had made up her mind that her hair looked “ugly” curled, her outfit was “disgusting” and her shoes were “awful”.  

I think she looked absolutely beautiful.  

She yelled at me, told me I was mean and said she wasn’t going to smile for pictures. I knew that none of that was actually true.

It was a hard morning, and not one that I’d like to repeat. As any school-aged mom can attest, hard mornings happen occasionally, despite even the best laid plans. 

With tears in her eyes as she got out of the car, I prayed that God would help her see herself for who He created her to be.  I want her to know she is beautiful, not because of her curled hair or cute skirt and boots but because of who she is.

And who she is has nothing to do with any of that! God made her with a kind, caring love for others, in His image, to show Himself to those she encounters today. God is molding her into the person she will someday become through this worst.day.ever.

Have you been throwing any “temper tantrums” lately? You may not like the way you look, your present circumstances, your spouse, your financial situation, or the stage your kids are in.  But rest assured that God has you where you are for a reason. We can throw all the “temper tantrums” we want but it doesn’t change anything. We are still “beautiful” in his eyes.  

Who we are and how God made us is not dependent on our present circumstances! 

“For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.” Ephesians 2:10

As an artist creates his work of art (his masterpiece), he makes many changes to it, perfecting it as he goes. He smooths out the rough edges and blends together colors until they are just right. God is doing the same in you.  

So don’t wish away the hard stuff.  It is in the worst.days.ever that God stretches us the most! 

As God continues to mold you into the woman he has designed you to be, I am praying that you can see yourself for the masterpiece God is making you into.

Oh, and by the way, my daughter smiled and looked absolutely beautiful in her pictures and she admitted to me later that it wasn’t actually her “worst day ever” after all.