"Beautiful" by Mercy Me

This world can be a very cruel place.  Too many people feel that the only way they can build themselves up is to tear someone else down.  Many of us isolate our feelings from most others, only opening up to a few choice friends in whom we feel we can trust.  The greatest betrayals are when even those trusted friends thoughtlessly, or intentionally cause us the greatest emotional harm. 

It's hard to feel good about yourself when you get rejected.  You feel like if they don't value you for your looks, your mind, your personality, then why should you?  Because there is one that values you more than you could ever value yourself.  He thought you were worth so much that he suffered torture and gave his only life to make sure you would be safe for all eternity.  He is in heaven right now, right this instant, looking down on you, reaching out through the immensity of time and space to surround you with his own tender love.  To let you know that everything will be okay. 

To Him, you are beautiful, you are treasured, you are irreplaceable.  You are in the middle of a dark valley on your journey of life, but his loving arms await you in the warm sunshine.  If you look up to Him, He will send the sunshine to where you are and begin to heal your broken heart.

"Beautiful" by Mercy Me

Days will come when you don't have the strength
When all you hear is you're not worth anything
Wondering if you ever could be loved
And if they truly saw your heart they'd see too much

You're beautiful
You're beautiful
You are made for so much more than all of this
You're beautiful
You're beautiful
You are treasured, You are sacred, You are His
You're beautiful

And praying that you have the heart to find
Cause you are more than what is hurting you tonight
For all the lies you've held inside so long
And they are nothing in the shadow of the cross

[Chorus]

Before you ever took a breath
Long before the world began
Of all the wonders He possessed
There was one more precious

Of all the earth and skies above
You're the one He madly loves enough to die

[Chorus]

"From God's Arms, To My Arms, To Yours" by Michael McLean

This last Sunday two ladies from a local pregnant teen counseling and adoption center spoke to us at church.  As they talked about the young teenage mothers who come into their office feeling alone and scared of the great decisions that they had to make shortly, my heart went out to them.  They told us that when an individual comes in with an unwanted pregnancy (or their parents, siblings, friends, etc.) they always sit them down and in a calm, caring manner discuss their options: 1) Marrying the father and raising the child together, 2) Raising the child as a single parent, 3) Adopting the child out to a family that wants them, or 4) Aborting the child.  Realizing that it is often impossible for the birth mother to get married or be a single mom, my wife and I agreed that we had great respect for the women who carried the baby to full term and then adopted them to a family.

As those ladies told us of the great heartache those pregnant girls initially have and the great peace they found in doing the right thing and adopting their baby, it reminded me of a song I had heard many years ago.  Songwriter Michael McLean was approached by a girl with an unwanted pregnancy about writing a song for her to give to the family she was adopting her child to.  From her journal entries, McLean wrote this unique song that has given hope and encouragement to many many girls in the same situation.  (Listen to his explanation here. )

"From God's Arms, To My Arms, To Yours" by Michael McLean

So many wrong decisions in my past, I'm not quite sure
If I can ever hope to trust my judgement anymore.
But lately I've been thinking,
'Cause it's all I've had to do.
And in my heart I feel that I
Should give this child to you.

And maybe, you could tell your baby,
When you love him so, that he's been loved before,
By someone, who delivered your son,
From God's arms, to my arms, to yours.

If you choose to tell him,
If he wants to know,
How the one who gave him life
Could bear to let him go.
Just tell him there were sleepless nights,
I prayed and paced the floors,
And knew the only peace I'd find,
Was if this child was yours.

And maybe, you could tell your baby,
When you love him so, that he's been loved before,
By someone, who delivered your son,
From God's arms, to my arms, to yours.

This may not be the answer,
For another girl like me.
But I'm not on a soapbox,
Saying how we all should be.
I'm just trusting in my feelings,
And I'm trusting God above,
And I'm trusting you can give this baby
Both his mothers' love.

And maybe, you could tell your baby,
When you love him so, that he's been loved before,
By someone, who delivered your son,
From God's arms, to my arms, to yours.

Resources for Unwanted Pregnancies:

It's About Love
Pregnant? You Have Options
About Abortion

"The Middle" by Jimmy Eat World

Peer pressure can be a frightful, destructive force, especially among teenagers. Coming to consciousness as an adult in a child's body, it is usually very important to teens that they "fit in" and are respected by their peers. I often think, if they could only have the benefit of five years hindsight, they would see how ultimately unimportant the things are that often monopolize their time and worrying: gaining the admiration of so-called friends that are mean to them, the latest fashions, experience in a romantic relationship, etc.

I would tell them, don't worry so much! There's still time for you to come into yourself and find your true friends. Adolescence is "the middle" of a bumpy ride for just about everyone, and insecure false friends make it worse for everyone. Just be yourself and be happy with it. Your true friends will recognize you and appreciate you for who you are.

"The Middle" by Jimmy Eat World

Hey,
Don't write yourself off yet.
It's only in your head you feel left out,
Or looked down on.
Just try your best,
Try everything you can.
And don't you worry what they tell themselves
When you're away.

It just takes some time,
little girl, you're in the middle of the ride.
Everything, everything will be just fine,
Everything, everything will be alright.

Hey,
You know they're all the same.
You know you're doing better on your own,
So don't buy in.
Live right now.
Yeah, just be yourself.
It doesn't matter if it's good enough
For someone else.

It just takes some time,
little girl, you're in the middle of the ride.
Everything, everything will be just fine,
Everything, everything will be alright.

Hey, don't write yourself off yet.
It's only in your head you feel left out,
Or looked down on.
Just do your best,
Do everything you can.
And don't you worry what their bitter hearts
Are gonna say.

It just takes some time,
little girl, you're in the middle of the ride.
Everything, everything will be just fine,
Everything, everything will be alright.

"100 Years" by Five For Fighting

There is a part of human nature that causes us to always be be pushing and stretching for something more than what we are today. This is what entices us to be continually improving, create new technologies and reach for the stars. It can also, however, hold us back by causing us to remain unsatisfied with our current situations, always hoping to be older, richer, have a better job, more friends or family, or any number of things.

Almost no age group exemplifies this better than the teenager. "Not quite an adult, but no longer a child," the teenager yearns for the independence, respect, income and possessions of an adult. In their wishing to be on to the next stages of their life, they often ignore and trivialize the experiences and growth they can only have in this stage of their lives. Many people look back with fondness on the carefree days of their childhood and wish that they had been able to see their worries as the small things they really were and enjoy that time that will never come again.

There is a saying that goes "You pile up enough tomorrows, and you'll find you are left with nothing but a lot of empty yesterdays. I don't know about you, but I'd like to make today worth remembering."

"100 Years" by Five for Fighting

I'm 15 for a moment
Caught in between 10 and 20
And I'm just dreaming
Counting the ways to where you are

I'm 22 for a moment
She feels better than ever
And we're on fire
Making our way back from Mars

15 there's still time for you
Time to buy and time to lose
15, there's never a wish better than this
When you only got 100 years to live

I'm 33 for a moment
Still the man, but you see I'm a they
A kid on the way
A family on my mind

I'm 45 for a moment
The sea is high
And I'm heading into a crisis
Chasing the years of my life

15 there's still time for you
Time to buy, Time to lose yourself
Within a morning star

15 I'm all right with you
15, there's never a wish better than this
When you only got 100 years to live

Half time goes by
Suddenly you're wise
Another blink of an eye
67 is gone
The sun is getting high
We're moving on...

I'm 99 for a moment
Dying for just another moment
And I'm just dreaming
Counting the ways to where you are

15 there's still time for you
22 I feel her too
33 you're on your way
Every day's a new day...

15 there's still time for you
Time to buy and time to choose
Hey 15, there's never a wish better than this
When you only got 100 years to live