I worked part-time as a dance instructor while attending seminary. As we prepared for the end-of-year recital, I taught my students about the importance of stage presence. Most of my students practiced with large smiles across their adorable faces, except for one student, Payton.

This perplexed me, because Payton loved to dance! But it was evident that Payton was not going to smile during practice.

“Payton, is everything OK today?” I asked her after class.

“Yes,” she replied, a big grin accompanying her answer.

“Hey! Where was that beautiful smile today when we rehearsed? I noticed you didn’t want to smile.”

“My mom says the gap between my two front teeth is ugly. I don’t want to smile and show my tooth gap.”

My heart sank. Payton, a beautiful six-year-old girl, bright and spirited, already believed a lie about her identity.

I went home that day thinking, What lies have I heard about who I am – lies I have heard throughout the years from my friends, strangers, and even loved ones. What lies have shaped my sense of identity? I asked God to reveal the lies that distort the truth.

When it comes to identity, we have two choices: to base our worth on the comments people make about us, or, to believe what God says.

Maybe you, like Payton, had unkind things spoken over or about you. Maybe these words negatively influence how you see yourself today. If so, my heart hurts with you. But we can turn to the One who repairs all wounds, the One who brings big, beautiful smiles to our faces. And we can teach other women about their tremendous worth in God’s sight.

A Beautiful Smile
Rachel Lohman

April 1, 2016