When I think about what I most want my daughter to know, I hope she always remembers two things: God is good, and she is loved.
Right behind those most important two is a third desire. I want her to twirl.
What does it mean to twirl, you ask?
Years ago, the Lord put an image in my imagination of a little girl in a field of flowers with arms outstretched, face tilted toward the sun, her dress floating out around her as she spun around, so freely and lightly. And then he spoke to my heart. My daughter, I am so pleased with who you are. Just like this little girl, I want you to twirl.
It’s a picture and a phrase I’ve pondered and wrestled with and finally came to a point in my own story to understand what it looks like for me, and you, and our children, to twirl.
Twirling is what happens when you know and believe and live in the confidence of God’s unfailing love, unconditional acceptance, and undeniable nearness. It’s trusting that he is for you and so pleased with you, that he created you with purpose and uniqueness that displays his glory. To twirl is to be exactly who God created you to be and do what He created you to do, because he is good, and he loves you!
It’s so easy to get tangled up in comparison. It’s so tempting to look to the left or right and wonder how you measure up. It’s easy to lose sight of how God sees you and let your eyes wander, wondering if maybe you’ve been made incorrectly. I’ve found myself swept up in this and I want more than anything for my daughter and yours to have the Truth tucked so deeply within them that they will just lift their heads, stretch out their arms and allow the Lord to delight over them with joyful songs as they move and live and do what they’ve been created to do.
What a special thing it is to see this lifelong dream of writing and illustrating a children’s book come to life. How I hope it will be a delightful family read-aloud favorite and that you’ll be charmed by the characters and pictures. Most of all, my prayer is that through this book this beautiful truth will find its way into the hearts of little girls everywhere: You are perfectly and wonderfully made. God loves you and made you in your own special way. Now sweet girl, go out and twirl.
Emily Lex is a watercolor artist, longtime blogger, and the author of Freely and Lightly and Twirl. In whatever she does, Emily desires to shine a light on the beauty, goodness, and truth all around us so that we might see more clearly who God is and who we are. She resides outside the Seattle, Washington, area with her husband and four children. Learn more at emilylex.com.
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