22

There I stood outside Chili’s on my twenty-second birthday, just before someone took this picture.

When he finally arrived, he greeted everyone else before he greeted me. Looking back, that moment said more about our relationship than I was willing to admit.

When I look at that picture now, I don’t remember Chili’s nearly as much as I remember the girl standing in it. She was trying so hard to convince herself that if she just held on a little tighter, things would finally get better. I held onto the relationship because I believed being chosen would finally quiet the questions I carried about my worth. I would soon realize that I had already been chosen by the One whose love had never left me wondering where I stood—my Heavenly Father.

Twenty-two, stop confusing someone’s inconsistency with your worth. The love you were searching for was never meant to be earned by shrinking yourself, waiting patiently, or hoping someone would finally choose you. Before anyone else’s opinion could define your worth, your Father already had. His love would never leave you wondering where you stood.

Photo by my sweet friend, Kellie.