I’m thrilled to welcome, Taylor Black to the blog today. She’s a mom to a sweet one-year-old boy and is just over half way through her second pregnancy with her daughter. Taylor blogs at Living a Life of Thankfulness. Be sure to check her out! 

Sweet, precious daughter. As you grow in my belly, I can’t help but excitedly anticipate our future together. I can hardly wait to hold you in my arms. To see your sweet face and look into your eyes. To gently rock you to sleep and sing soft lullabies to you like I did with your brother. There is so much that I cannot wait to teach you and show you. This world is a wild adventure and I cannot wait to do it with you by my side, little girl.

You see, when your brother was born, I looked forward to all of these same things. I ached to hold your brother in my arms for the first time the same way I ache to hold you. I so comfortably took on the role of “mother” and it felt effortless. I knew that I was meant to be a mom, you and your brothers mom, but this time feels different. The anticipation of you brings forth worries that drive me to my knees. Sweet girl, culture has created a place where you will forever be convinced that you aren’t good enough, smart enough, pretty enough. And I have this fierce and unwavering desire to protect you from it all. But I can’t and its unfair to you for me to try. So, I leave you with these thoughts, prayers, and promises as we walk this journey together.

You will hear so many voices coming at you from so many different places; media, friends, and unfortunately people who love you. If I teach you nothing else in this life, I want you to hear this loud and clear: the only opinion of you that matters is God’s. You see, you were created in God’s perfect image. He thought you up long before your father and I ever had a thought of you. He made you exactly the way you are for great and beautiful purposes. And I don’t want you to miss those things because you fall for the lies that you are fed about your worth or abilities. I am guilty of living my life this way and I want nothing more than for you to be free from the prison that it creates.

Women’s culture is so vain. We base our worth on our weight and the clothes we wear instead of the gifts, hearts and incredible minds we have been given to use by God. God created women for a purpose and it wasn’t to minimize ourselves to a number on the scale or the price tag of our lives. Instead of coming together and creating something incredible, we tear each other apart to prove who is better; all the while teaching the young women in our lives that this behavior is ok, even normal. Daughter, don’t fall for this trap. You were made uniquely different for a specific purpose and trying to be just like everyone else guarantees shackles on your ankles for as long as you live. You will forever find yourself striving and feeling exhausted if you allow for these lies to permeate into truths in your life. Believing these lies about yourself paves the way of a life of destruction and self-doubt. You deserve so much more than this life of lies could ever promise you. And the women around you deserve so much more, too. Lead the way, daughter. Be the voice of change. Live your life differently so that others do the same. Lead. Love. Encourage.

Daughter, there is nothing that you cannot do with God’s help. If you trust that God loves you and sees you as perfect, there is no dream, no plan, and no goal that is too big, too hard or too scary. When you trust the one who will never break your trust, you cannot fail. The love that I have for you is bigger than the oceans combined, but God, his love for you is bigger and deeper. I can never love you the way that God loves you and knowing that truth is powerful. I will fail you, daughter. There will be times where I am not enough and I pray we both seek God’s wisdom in those shortcomings. I pray we are both quick to forgive and generous in love. But God will never fail you. He will never forsake you and will never give up on you. He will never leave your side nor will he turn his back on you. If you live your life believing these things, what is there that you cannot do? I pray so deeply that you believe and seek this truth.

I want to shelter you from the pain and heartache of this world. But more than that, I want to raise you to be fearless and powerful. I want you to look at this world with a sense of confidence that is so often stripped of women, starting at such a young age. I want you to be brave. I want you to look pain and heartache in the face and trust that there is a God who is safe enough to rest your broken and weary heart in and love people anyway. Instead of avoiding the pain, I pray you have the courage to process it and press on with dignity and empathy.

Empathy. Oh sweet daughter how I pray you are laden with empathy. This world is filled with people who are broken. I pray you have a deeply kind heart for those around you who are hurting. I pray that you yearn to have the heart of Jesus; the man who embodies love itself. That you would understand that you cannot truly understand love until you understand Jesus. That you would deeply love others and encourage those around you to do the same thing. I hope that through my actions, I can teach you that with forgiveness and love, anything is possible. I hope you live your life-giving it away to those around you.

Finally daughter, I pray that you find in me, a friend. I long for our love to be nurturing and sweet. I cannot wait to teach you how to love yourself the way God loves you. I cannot wait to hold your hand when you have to do something brave and encourage you when you feel like you cannot take another step. I pray that our love looks like the love that I share with my own mother; a love so sacred and close to my heart. I am trusting that the mother that God has made me to be is exactly the mother that you need in this life to thrive. I am acknowledging that how I view myself and the way I treat myself is indefinitely the way you will come to view yourself someday. May I never forget that I am your mirror and you are my reflection. Let my life work be to treat myself gently and with love so that you learn to do the same.

I cannot imagine my life without you and I haven’t even met you. Before you were even a thought in my mind, God knew you and knew that I was going to be your mom. He dreamt you up to be exactly what He needed in this world and I pray that you seek that purpose your entire life. I pray that I nurture that purpose God has for you. Never stop seeking, daughter. Never stop loving yourself the way God loves you. Choose to live your life free from the prison of lies this world feeds you and be bountiful in the plans that God has for you. I cannot wait to meet you and see the miracle God has so graciously given me to raise. I get to be your mother and that is the greatest honor I could imagine. Hand in hand, heart in heart; my daughter you are.

Love,

Your mother