This story is very close to my heart, and this young woman has given permission to share this with all of you:) The last couple of years I had a girl that struggled with self-worth and confidence throughout her life. She had previously dealt with the temptation of self-mutilation and had been cutting for a couple years. She knew who God was, and even had a relationship with him, but had a very difficult time learning to love herself. I spent many days crying and praying over this girl wanting so badly for her to see how beautiful she was to God, and I wanted her to see herself how God sees her. Every once in a while she would see little 'glimmers' of beauty but nothing that would change her. How do you explain God's love to a girl who already knows it, who sees it, and even experiences it, but just can't accept herself? I feel like in this case, I had to learn to let her experience it herself and trust that through prayer God would eventually answer our cry. No story or even encouragement could truly cure her. It's a matter of completely trusting God, and looking for him in the pain. So I've worked with her for the last couple of years trying to help her understand. In the end, all I could do is challenge here and LOVE her, and hope that she one day would see her beauty the way God sees her beauty, the way the rest of us see her beauty... She wrote me the following letter a couple nights ago:

"Tori~
I saw god today.

I’ve had scars on my arms for years. There’s no getting around them. But today, in my first meeting with my small group here, we were praying for people's prayer requests, and as the girl starts to pray for me, i looked down at my arms, and I could only see like tiny bits of my scars. They’re fading. Finally. Finally that part of my life seems to be disappearing.

Just needed to say it.

Love you"
 
I cry even now as I copy and paste this short letter. I just think that this is such a beautiful picture of God's loving heart and healing power. And timing too. I spent the last 2 years with a broken heart, feeling like I was never going to help her see Him through it. But it finally came. Just when I was feeling more and more like I needed to HEAR it and SEE it from a kid. I got it. That night wasn't only healing for her, it was healing for my own heart. That God is using me to make a difference, and that I need to be OK if I don't ALWAYS see the change right away.

Tori Sharpe, Skyview Young Life