Dear Leah
What if I told you
Millions of years after I heard your story
I could fit in your shoes?
The fairy tale bride lifestyle is not for people like us
We are possibly seen as the supporting cast
Outcasts even
Villians like Ursula and Maleficent
Unworthy in the eyes of men
People who we have loved
Till our hearts ached
We lost ourselves pursuing affirmation
Acceptance
They would never look us in the eyes and say we are beautiful
To them, we are what we do
Not who we are
We are not like our sisters
How we wish we would be
How passion lit Jacob’s heart to yearn for Rachel
He willingly pursued her even if it took forever
And you wondered
When would Jacob smile at the sight of me?

Leah
I have experienced your pain
Anguish flowed from your heart
Manifested in tears
A bruised spirit
Cluttered mind
We have grown weary
Constantly wearing our hearts outside of our bodies
No one ever notices how broken we are
And we wonder
When the glance of approval would come
Even through pity
“How many children must I bear for him to see me”?
Sons even
“What more can I say for him to look my way?”
What was left to do for him to pursue you?
Nothing
For his heart was with something else
Someone else

Left to stand in the cold
Alone
Unloved to the core
He gave you less when you needed more
Desires were left on hold
Hooked on a feeling
Caught in a web of hurt, pining away
But we will never be happy
If we are bent on finding our worth in the eyes of our careless loves
We must carefully direct our attention to the Seed of Judah
Sing His praises like lullabies to a baby
Rest in the arms of the One who first loved us
He sacrifices constantly that we might be free
He gives up significance that we may see how much we are dangerously beautiful
A rare lily in the snow
He pursues us to the ends of the earth
He notices us
And even in a crowd
He will not relent
He will find us and hold our hands
Assuring us that we are His
There is nothing more that we can do
He already loves me and you

Leah,
Our bitter pains can be erased
And nail-pierced hands, feet and side are the reason we can live a life worthwhile
So smile
Wipe your tears and stand in love
The kind that never wavers nor fades

^{Photo by Anna Might (IG:@annamighttakepics)}