Dear Sweetheart,

You don't know me, and I don't know you. I wish we did know each other. I saw you at the mall with your boyfriend and a group of his friends. I was with my three little girls; I doubt you noticed me, but I did notice you make eye contact with one of my girls. My girls were watching you and your boyfriend. I wish I knew what you were thinking when you locked eyes with my girl. Were you thinking back to when you were a little girl? Were you remembering a fond memory, or were you suddenly angry at someone for cheating you out of the chance to be a little girl? I wish I knew.

As I watched you, my immediate reaction was to avert my girls' eyes. I won't lie -- you were dressed in a way that is intended to draw attention to your body. And while I think you are lovely to look at, most of the boys...and some men...who see you think otherwise; lovely is not the word they would use. This may be okay with you; in fact, I suspect it is. Please understand, what I want to say to you, I want to say holding one of your hands and with my other hand patting your back. You see, I want to take your pretty face and put my hands on both sides of it; I want to get my nose one inch from yours and say what I don't think anyone has told you in a long time - maybe never. I want to say, "You are worth more than this!" I want to say to your boyfriend, "Your job tonight is to protect her innocence. This will include your taking your hand off of her butt!"

Now I know you probably think I am old. And that's okay. When I was your age, I thought...this age...was old. Oh, baby girl, would you believe I remember your age like it was yesterday?! I do! I was your age once and although I may be one of the few people in your life who will admit you indeed live in a vastly different time than I did, boys and girls have not changed. From generation to generation what boys and girls - girls and guys - have longed for is still the same: love and significance. This longing is not much different from the cry of most adults' hearts as well. So, already, we have more in common than you thought.

I want you to know that I feel nothing for you but love and compassion. This is a testimony to the way Jesus Christ himself feels for you. You see, when I first saw you and wanted to avert my girls' eyes, it was to protect their innocence and I will admit that this made me a little angry inside toward you. But, thankfully, my heart and my thoughts no longer belong to me. Jesus Christ came into my life a long time ago and changed me from the inside out. As a result, very often he will allow me to feel a fraction of what he feels for his children. He does this by replacing my judgment with compassion. And He did this the night I saw you. And I am so glad He did. I closed my eyes and prayed for you that very moment. I asked Him to make Himself real to you. I asked Him to be your daddy. I asked Him to be so very close to you that night that you would know something was different even if you didn't know what it was. I asked Him to send someone into your life to really, really love you and not use you. I asked Him to make you brave and to give you courage to be all that He wants you to be; that you would give your heart to Him if you hadn't already.

I wish I would have told you these things that night. You deserve for someone - even a complete stranger - to make a fool of herself if it means you could have seen Christ's love for you for even just a millisecond. If I ever see you again, I just might be that fool. Until then, this crazy "old" lady is praying for you. I am praying for the day you realize you were born to be a princess, a daughter of the most High King. He thinks you are beautiful. Inside and out.

Love,
A Mom