If My Face Was Made of Clay

If my face was made of clay,

I would smooth out all the bumps- and the red that people ask about.

I would pinch and prod my cheeks until the dark circles went away

If my face was made of clay,

I would shape and mold my nose so that it didn't have this bump

I would sculpt my brow just so, until it didn't wrinkle

If my face was made of clay,

I would stretch and fold my chin just so, so it didn't stick out in pictures

If my face was made of clay,

I could change all that I wanted

I could sculpt and smooth, and mold and stretch, and fold

Until I looked just the way I wanted

But my nose is from my mother,

And my eyes are from her father.

My ears are like my father's,

And my cheeks are like my grandmother's.

My face is from The Father, I won't change it for the world.

I'll hold that chin up high, knowing that it's all from Him.

Despite what the world says,

I'll love it just like this.

As someone who has spent hours in the mirror, wishing my face was different, it's not an easy journey — and mine's still not over yet. But I have to remind myself over and over again that it's so those same features I wish I could change that tie me to my family. To my mom, siblings, dad, grandparents, and relatives I may never have met. Being named after some incredible relatives I didn't get to meet, I hope somewhere in my face is a piece of them.

"Your face is a combination of thousands of years worth of people who loved each other's faces."

If that quote is true, it means each of them were loved deeply by someone, their friends, family, and spouse — it gives me hope that as a combination of so many loved people, there will someday be someone that loves it, too.

-Jesus loves you.