Put on Your Crown of Personal Acceptance
By: Nikki Michelle Charnstrom
In a world where beauty seems to be defined in materialistic, physical attributes, it can be difficult to find the truth in it all. While there is nothing wrong with dressing your lips in a pop of color and strapping on your favorite pair of heels, beauty goes much deeper. What if we leveraged our God-given beauty to carry ourselves through the day? We couldn’t help but walk a tad bit taller as we shamelessly fall in love with the skin we’re in — wearing our crown of acceptance.
When I was a brace-faced freshman in high school, the innocent I-don’t-care-what-others-think attitude from my childhood seemingly vanished. I found myself caught up in the latest fashions, although let’s be real, no one back then had any sense of style. I recall wearing tight shirts and short shorts, even in the dead of Phoenix winter. Makes sense, right? I styled my hair in that trendy comb-over bangs look that I can confidently say now was a terrible choice. Did I feel pretty? Maybe at surface level but underneath that facade was a self-conscious girl just trying to figure out how to fit in.
Goodness, high school can be rough, and I thank God for pursuing me every day with His delicate words of affection until I finally heard him. While it may have taken me years to put my worth in Christ, since then I have never looked back. Granted, we all have our bad days and I am no exception but the love of God is enough to cover every insecurity.
One night recently I was reading Rupi Kaur’s the sun and her flowers and one poem, in particular, seemingly changed my perspective on self-love.
“if i am the longest relationship
of my life
isn’t it time to nurture intimacy
and love
with the person
i lay in bed with each night”
- acceptance
Learning to love who you are is one of the most important things you could ever do. It starts by acknowledging who you are in Christ and accepting every beautiful little thing about you. Look at yourself in the mirror and I mean truly look. Don’t give yourself a quick once-over instead, study the way your cheekbones frame your face, memorize the curve in your lips, and deeply stare into the color of your eyes. Appreciating how God created you is the first step to accepting your unique beauty and crowning yourself in it.
There is no one else like you, girl. It’s pretty special God designed you and me differently and I absolutely love the way He made you. Let’s practice giving ourselves the love we deserve and embracing our beauty from the inside out. Now, go take a look in that mirror and put on your crown. You’re beautiful.
Nikki is the owner and founder of Crowned Chics. She lives in the warm desert of Phoenix, Arizona with her beloved family. If she's not ferociously clanking away on her typewriter, she's behind the camera capturing moments for her business Charnstrom Captures Photography.