To The Girls

To the girl who stood firmly in front of his gun and said, “Go ahead, shoot me!” Not because she was brave, but because this was her way out. To the girls who forgot they were purchased by the blood of Christ. To the ones who know that depression is a reality that is suffocating, agonizing. To the girls who do not know the meaning of home, who self-medicate with isolation, injecting self with doses of detachment. And to the girls who know rape is more than just a storyline for SVU. This is for you. Listen. Do not mistake nights for lonely. Do not compare yourself to the lost ones for comparison is the thief of all joy. And when a boy tells you he loves you, do not be easily persuade. Do not let their presumed tool of deception reveal your scripture. Because the only weapon they have is the rod they misuse. Murdering the very gospel they know nothing of. And for those who pray and dance for your demise, forgive them, “for they know not what they do.” Love them for they know not the power of love. Learn to yell when you see the devil. Do not coward to godless men. When your mother asks you why you take so long in the shower. Be honest. Tell her you hate this cancer. This dark night that wears you like a plague. This casing that seems to be a magnet for brutality and injustice. I understand you have masked your hurt and confusion in the lust of little boys who sold you borrowed dreams. But remember who your God is.

To the girl who wear stolen smiles and carry dry ice as a heart, do not be ashamed of your scars. Do not hide them but let God use them to heal the scares of another. To the girls who have given their bodies to men who weren’t worthy, forgive yourself. Do not let the blade of another knife make love to the casing you are still trying to love. Do not forget that you are beautifully created and loved by Him no matter what. To the girl who never got a chance to be young, it is okay. And to the girl who knows how it feels to have a man parade inside of you without your consent, who took away your sense of purity, self-love and joy, forgive him.

And to the boy who will one day become the man to love these girls. Listen to me. She is beautiful and flawed. She has fought demons you still think are fairytales. She is broken and abused, but she is love. She is a creature heavenly designed by God and I promise you that loving her will be hard but loving her will be worth it. The kind of worthiness you feel when you kneel before God. For I tell you this girl has learned from her mistakes, has kneeled before God and is now a woman who can stand before any man. Unashamed.