Can I talk to you for a second?

Look at me. Do you know what is wonderful? You are loved.

And no, not because he says, “I love you, baby.”

It is because you are cherished by the One who created you.

You will see that fighting for the attention of a boy was not worth the compromise. It was not worth fighting your parents over curfew. It was not worth ignoring your friends.

You will feel the regret stirring up inside of you, itching to come out. You will feel the shame that comes with comprising in a relationship. You will see that pain lingers for years after bad decisions.

But I have good news for you, darling.

You are more than all those things. You are more than the regret. You are more than the shame. You are more than the pain.

You are loved.

There are so many things yet to come. You are headed to college, you are about to meet your best friends, your mother will become your confidant, and you have yet to fall madly in love, day after day.

And guess what? There is a man who will love you in the way God intended you to be loved. He is worth the wait. He will look at you like this one day.

So here is my advice to you:

Take care of yourself. Thank your parents for being protective. Sit by the girl at lunch with nobody to talk to. Be kind to the boy who made fun of you.

Smile more, hug more, roll your eyes less, and pray for your future husband. Be open with a friend about what you are struggling with because I assure you that you are not alone in your struggle. Hug your grandmother tighter. Work harder in school. Run faster and eat better — although indulge in Starbucks coffee every now and again.

But most of all, lean on God. He loves you regardless of everything you have done — the good, the bad, and the not-so-pretty.

You are more than your guilt, shame, and pain. You are loved, darling. You are incredibly loved.