This summer I went on a hike with my mom up at Shrine Pass. My mom wanted to see the high-alpine wildflowers that show off their beautiful colors this time each year. This hike held significance for several reasons.

It was the first time doing a hike with any real elevation gain in almost two years. An injury – and chronic pain – has prevented me from hiking, which is my favorite way to connect with God. We didn’t reach the summit but being on an actual hike in the mountains again was more than enough.

Using my poles for support, I cautiously picked my way up the gentle slope, continuously checking in with my body to make sure I wasn’t overdoing it. The dirt trail was slightly wet from a recent rain, and the pine trees swayed in the wind, the sun shining across the valley and on the craggy peaks in the distance. I was able to drop into the meditative state with God that only comes with hiking and hear from him on a deeper level. Together, we went over what had been discovered in my therapy session that morning.

I had processed some memories regarding a specific guy. I really liked this guy and wanted to date him, but he didn’t feel the same way. There were so many layers to this situation that were uncovered, but one of them was the belief that I wasn’t worthy.

I wasn’t worthy of this guy, and when my counselor asked if I felt worthy to God, I just shrugged. I knew I was worthy to God, but I didn’t really feel that way. I wanted to feel it, and I believe it, but that true belief just wasn’t there.

I climbed higher and higher, my legs burning and my heart racing, as my mom continuously gushed over the wildflower’s beauty. Then she stopped on the side of the trail and said, “Look at these cute little ones!”

I wandered over to where she was bent over, snapping photos. I squinted at the microscopic snow-white leaves of these flowers, unseen to the eye unless you looked hard.

And my mom said, “Isn’t God so good? How did he decide to make such tiny flowers? Even the smallest detail is so important to him.”

That’s when I heard Holy Spirit whisper, “Like you. You’re just as important, just as worthy as those flowers.” I wanted to cry because in that moment I felt God’s love so strongly.

I remembered what my counselor asked earlier, if I felt important and worthy to God. I certainly felt it and fully believed it in that moment looking at the tiny flowers. God’s confirmation of my worthiness washed away any doubt or uncertainty that I was feeling. It reminded me of the Bible verse about worry, how the birds and flowers are always taken care of and so am I.

“Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are? Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith?” – Matthew 6:26-30 NLT

Those snow-white flowers were created with upmost care, and yet God cares about me so much more than that. I am worthy of his love, despite all my flaws and shortcomings and sins. I am valued by God. I felt it then, what it means to be seen as worthy by God. Truly nothing else matters. Nobody’s opinions matter. It doesn’t matter that guy didn’t want me. God wants me.

And the same goes for you. Friend, you are so beloved by the Creator of the universe. It might not seem like it, given what you’ve been through, what traumas have marred your heart with scars, but God cares. Even if you’ve been fighting for yourself your whole life, even if you’ve been told you’re not good enough, God loves you.

You are enough for Jesus. He wants to walk alongside you and guide you through life. If he cares to create a flower so small with such intricate detail, he will surely care for you.

You are worthy of being loved by God, the only love that sustains throughout time and circumstance.

Perhaps you’re wondering if all that’s true, then why has he allowed you to endure such pain? Why hasn’t he intervened or stopped bad shit from happening to you or to those you love?

It’s taken me a long time to realize that God has been there every time I’ve called on him for help, but I wasn’t looking in the right way or the right place. I viewed God as some sort of magical genie, like when Aladdin rubbed the lamp, and genie was at his beck and call.

God isn’t like that. He isn’t our slave, nor are we his. He wants relationship with us. That means that both sides have to work. God doesn’t automatically just fix all of our problems. He wants our trust and our love.

But he will never, ever, force you into that relationship. He’ll never coerce you to say yes to him.

You might be wondering how to even have a relationship with God. It starts with Jesus. Jesus was sent to earth by God as a sacrifice for all of humanity. People had been separated from God for centuries because of their sin. And Jesus wiped the slate clean, being the bridge between humans and God when he died on the cross and rose to life three days later.

Sin means to act apart from God, to do things that directly go against God. If the church or anyone representing God has made you feel like a piece of shit for sinning, I’m so sorry. We – literally every person on the planet – sin. We all do things that lead us away from God.

If you sin, then congratulations, you are part of the human race. It doesn’t make you a bad person. It doesn’t mean God hates you, it’s quite the opposite.

God loves us so much that he sacrificed his own child, so that we may know him personally. And by believing in Jesus and what he did for you, by admitting that you’ve acted apart from God, and asking for forgiveness, that’s it.

The door opens to you for relationship with the Creator.

And so he waits for your “yes”, but he never stops calling you loved, enough, worthy.

You are worthy. You don’t need to be enough for the world, because you are enough for the One who created the world. Just like the birds are fed and the flowers are clothed in colors of beauty, God takes care of you. Not because you’ve done enough or are successful enough. No, we fall very short of God’s standard. But God is endless love, and he takes care of you because he loves you. To him, you are enough, and you are worthy of his love, despite your sins, your flaws, your scars. It’s that simple.

So friend, if you haven’t ever invited God into your heart, and you’re feeling called to do so now (and only if you really feel called and are ready, no one is forcing you to do this), join me in this prayer:

“God, I want to enter into relationship with you. I believe you sent your son, Jesus, to die on the cross for my sins, and that he rose to life again. Jesus, I accept you as my savior. Thank you. I admit that I’ve sinned and have done things apart from you, please forgive me. Please lead me through life and guide me in this relationship. Thank you for your love, grace, and mercy. I’m yours. Amen.”

If you just prayed that prayer for the first time, congratulations! Choosing to follow Jesus is the most beautiful, life-changing decision, and it’s no small thing. In fact, you might even be feeling overwhelmed right now, or wondering, what’s next?

I’m currently working on an amazing guide full of next steps in the faith journey, so stay tuned! This won’t be a blog post – it will be a comprehensive guide that will be directly emailed to you, so if you’re not already subscribed, make sure you do so, here. That way you’ll be the first to receive my guide on deepening your connection with God!

In the meantime, here are some of my favorite blog posts on faith that you can read:   

• Living Proof
• It’s Hard Being a Christian Sometimes
• The Stars Were Made for You
• Taking the Roundabout Way