“Why are those girls all wearing exactly the same thing?” I wondered, driving through campus.

Some articles of clothing are considered “required” for female students on our campus – black yoga pants, riding boots, scarves — but these matching outfits of cut-off jean shorts, plaid shirts and cowboy boots were out of place – to say the least. Did I mention I live in Ohio?

On the next block another group sported the same costume. Aha! — a costume, for a party – maybe farm, maybe hoedown, maybe hillbilly. I’m sure the official name for the party was more clever and loaded with innuendo, but you get the gist.

The next girl I drove past broke my heart.

She stood out because:
1. Instead of shorts she wore denim short overalls with one of the straps undone, exposing her shoulder.
2. On top she wore a hot pink bra with no plaid shirt. Just the bra.

Something made this poor girl feel the way to be noticed – to be accepted was by exposing her skin. Is that what she truly wants? To be remembered as the girl with the hot pink bra? I wanted to pull over, to hold her in my arms. Instead, I silently cried for her in my car and kept driving.

She’s been on my mind ever since. And so now, I’m telling her everything I longed to tell her in that moment in this blog. I’m praying she and anyone who’s ever felt like her will read it.

Dear Girl in the Pink Bra:

I’ve never met you, but I do know you have an inner beauty burning somewhere beneath your pink bra.

If you are at this university you must be both bright and talented. It’s not easy to get accepted. The admissions board selected you from hundreds of applicants because of your gifts. But in this outfit no one can pull their focus away from your cleavage to hear your great thoughts or to learn from your insights. No one will notice the unique pattern of your eyes or the distinct melody of your laughter. Instead of being revealing, you are concealing your true identity and masking the things about you that are truly beautiful.

You have so much potential. You can be accepted for you, your beautiful self, not for your bra or for your body, but for you.

The next time you wear your pink bra, please wear something over it that covers the rosy lace. By covering your bra, you will actually uncover some of your very essence. By hiding some of your skin, you will allow others to see so much more of you – the real, true beautiful you God created you to be.

Please know you were fearfully and wonderfully made.

Laura

Psalm 139:14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made.

AUTHOR BIO:

Laura L. Smith loves God, her husband, her four children, writing and speaking. She writes real stories for real girls. Her previous books include Skinny, Hot, and Angry. She is a featured columnist at Choose NowMinistries and speaks at schools, churches and campuses around the country. Smith lives in the college town of Miami University, Oxford, Ohio.  www.laurasmithauthor.com www.playlistfiction.com

Laura’s latest book, It’s Complicated, is part of Fiction Playlist, a myriad of YA authors, three of whom released books today. They are giving away three free copies of books over at PlayListFiction.com.

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