Last year my sister, Callie, and I got a sled from our grandmother for a Christmas present. The sled was an inflatable yellow and blue one that could hold two passengers. It looked like it would be a lot of fun to use, and we were really excited to try it out. In Hendersonville, Tennessee (near Nashville), where I live, we don't usually get much snow. But that winter we got a couple of inches around Christmastime so we could go sledding. We took our sled to a really steep hill in front of our house. It was a great afternoon. The sled was working well, and we were going fast. But then, during one run down the hill, the sled tipped over. I landed with my face flat on some ice and Callie was on top of me. My face was cut and bleeding.
I ran inside to my mom. She helped me clean up, and we prayed together. My mom reminded me that God loves me and made me perfect. Nothing could change that.
But I was afraid my face was ugly. Mom said I expressed beauty no matter what. Because I'm God's likeness, who I am means being beautiful. I liked this idea a lot. And as I thought about it, the pain in my face went away.
