04/29/2021
It took me less than five minutes to change this picture.
Less than five minutes to completely distort reality, and filter my face into oblivion. It looks like me, but trust me, that is not my face.
- I raised my eyebrows. I erased my wrinkles, touched up my dark circles, covered up an acne scar, and blended out a mole on my cheek.
- I made my eyes larger, and tilted them just a little so they would look more “doe-y.” Ironically, I slimmed my face so it would look a little less doughy.
- I made my nose smaller, and I made it post upwards just a tad.
- I made my lips larger. I filled those bad boys out.
- I gave myself a tan, and I lightened my hair.
- I put on mascara. I darkened my mouth. And I put some kind of highlighter magic stuff on my cheeks.
- I moved my entire face up. I don’t even know what that means, but I did it.
In a couple of swoops with my fingertips and with a few buttons with my thumbs, I covered up every single flaw and “fixed” everything I’m insecure about. You can’t see my thighs in this picture, but you’d better believe I would have changed them too, sister. Thigh gap, please, and slim those hips while we’re at it.
I get the fascination with the filter. I really do, because I feel it too. I feel the pressure to look a certain way, or present myself a certain way. I feel the pressure to measure up.
And when I break out, which I do fairly often, I feel the pressure even more.
I am all for women doing whatever to feel confident in their skin, and heaven knows, I’d never judge (because I highlight my hair and I love makeup and I have no intentions of stopping.), but dang.
What are we doing?
Can you imagine filtering a sunset?
Can you imagine walking outside and being like “nice try God, but it would’ve been better if you’d done it like this. Let me show you what your handiwork should look like. More pink here. Less clouds here. A brighter orange over there.”
1. If you allow yourself to be overly-accustomed to what you look like with a filter, you’ll start being disappointed when you look at your real-self in the mirror, and that’s sad.
2. You’re trying to find your worth from being “pretty enough,” and it will never, ever work. You are more than the way you look. So much more.
3. It’s not really you. You deserve the confidence that comes from presenting yourself in the truest, most authentic light possible. Let celebrities do whatever celebrities are gonna do, but you be brave enough to show up as you are.
4. If we’re gonna tell our daughters that they are beautiful as they are. If we are gonna hope young girls don’t feel the pressure to look perfect all the time. If we are going to preach to teenagers that they need to learn to accept themselves as God created them, it is our job to go first. It’s our job to be an example and to pave the road for them so their walk is a little easier.
5. If you think God was creative when he painted the sky, girl...you ain’t seen nothing. YOU are his most precious creation. YOU—no filter, no preset, no posed photo. There is nothing he has ever designed, ever crafted, ever formed that even compares. Stop trying to “fix” what God made. There are no mistakes to be found in you.
Don’t believe everything you see on social media. Apps are free and photo-shopping is cheap.
Stop being obsessed with making yourself in the image of Snapchat and find freedom in the beauty that comes from being made God’s image.
You are so beautiful. I just want you to see it. I want you to believe it, and feel it, and know it. You really are fearfully and wonderfully made.
Okay?
Okay.
The sunset is glorious.
And you are too.
Love,
Amy
