you are beautiful

I walked outside this evening to pick up the trash that had blown through our garden, and now lay wet and limp - scattered through the back walkway. Some of the neighborhood kids were riding their bikes around the back parking lot, and soon hollered hello. a few of them came over, and others soon followed - showing me their bikes, and how fast they could ride. They wanted to see the flowers, and we picked and smelled the mint, the lavender, the rosemary and oregano.

these girls are in preschool, kindergarten and 1st grade... and yet, "boyfriend" or "she kissed him" or "he kissed her on the mouth!" could be heard here and there in their bursts of stories, and laughter and yelling.

I paused after a while, and looked at them. 4 little girls all looking up at me - clinging, pushing, hugging, smiling with mischievous dark sparkling eyes... and i said, "you know you are beautiful?! You know you don't need a boyfriend, right? You are beautiful just the way you are." they laughed and giggled. "Don't ever listen to people telling you you need a boyfriend to be cool."

When i was in India the girls from the Kadooli hostel crowded around me like that, wanting lighter skin, admiring, loving, pushing, hugging... and I made a point to pause and look them each in the eye, tap their nose and say "tu sundar ahey!" (You are beautiful!)

So here, in Boston, as these girls were standing here behind my house, I looked at each one in turn and put my hand on their head and said "you are beautiful! you know that right?!" and smiled.

Oh, that they will grow in confidence and strength, and not listen to the lies of our culture that they need to be sexy, to reveal parts of their bodies that should be covered- thinking its funny, and gets attention. I pray they grow to love and respect their bodies, demanding respect from boys in their class... not listening to mean and cruel comments as other kids try to tear them down. May they stand strong. May they know that they are beautiful - that they are loved - that their identity is in something far greater than a boy "liking" and kissing them! They are loved by the creator of the universe!

Why is everything so sexualized?! why is a 5 year old girl flipping up her skirt, thinking its funny?! Whats happening to our kids? No wonder girls are falling prey to exploiters... somehow they believe their value is in their bodies... in a guy's attention... they are learning from what they see around them. What do they see in us?

I pray for these girls tonight. I pray for the girls in Boston - that they will see through the lies -they will come to know the truth - True Love. Where are they meeting this Love? Where is Jesus to them? maybe i am the only "Jesus" they will meet? Maybe you are.