What Heaven Sees in You

     Yesterday in my step-aerobics class as we were stretching at the end, my instructor decided to take a minute to talk to us about how we see ourselves, about being confident no matter our size or shape...She told us about a lady she met at a party. This particular woman was a very large Hawaiian woman, and all my teacher could think about when she first saw her was how big she was...until she got on stage and began to speak and sing, and then all she could think about was how beautiful this woman was. She told us that no matter what if we are confident and comfortable with who we are, and we show that to other people, they will see that too. I couldn't help but think of that in terms of how Heavenly Father sees us. Over the last, wow, almost a year, I've been working with Dr. V to be able to do a few things, and one of the big ones is see myself through the eyes of my Father in Heaven, to not allow the cunning words of the advesary keep me from feeling good about myself, to not let him keep me from being comfortable with who I am. I have finally gotten to the point that I am able to look at myself in the mirror and be happy, well, be content, to know that regardless of how much weight I do or do not loose, Heavenly Father loves me the way that I am, afterall, he made me this way. Don't get me wrong, I want and plan to loose at least a few lbs before some more significant moments of my life, but I love myself, every last ounce.
     I remember that more when I remember that I really am his daughter, there's a quote from Jeffrey R. Holland that I LOVE he talks about how of all the titles God could have chosen, FATHER is the one that he claims, we, his children are his greatest joy, accomplishment, as well as his greatest sorrow. I want to be one of his joys, I want him to be proud of me, I want to exemplify at all times the fact that I am HIS daughter, and I never want to bring him sorrow. However, I know that those times are all but inevitable, that there are, have been, and will continue to be times when I disappoint him, times when I doubt my divine nature because of the things that are pounded into my brain through the craftiness of the adversary, but I also know that he loves me SO MUCH that he sent his son, his son to die for me, so that I could return to live with him someday, so that I wouldn't have to suffer for those things on my own. I know that beyond a shadow of a doubt.
     I absolutely know that, and I know that that alone has brought me more confidence and comfort in my own skin that loosing 50 pounds ever could. I know that that confidence has placed right in the way of some amazing people, and that those people are making my journey through this life more enjoyable each and everyday, and I know that it will only get more interesting along the way :)