You are the favorite.

Growing up in small town Nebraska, I loved my mom’s close-knit family. I especially loved when my mom’s sister Betty would come over. Why? Because I was Aunt Betty’s favorite.

You see, Aunt Betty truly saw me. She accepted me, delighted in me, cheered me, loved me. I felt safe and whole around her. Authentic. It was like her ability to see me—tall, loud, opinionated—and still love me, allowed me to become my best version of me.

Now, it was never a competition with my seven sisters and three brothers, but in my heart of hearts, I knew that Aunt Betty loved me best.

Imagine my surprise when one day I overheard my sister saying that she was Aunt Betty’s favorite. I was like, “What?” and leaned in. A different sister chimed in, saying that SHE was Betty’s favorite niece. Around and around it went, all of my siblings declaring the same thing.

Isn’t that funny? Turns out that our aunt saw each and every one of us as special. And she loved each one of us bigly, allowing us to grow and flourish emotionally.

I think of that now and again, especially knowing that our human relationships can be a bit of heaven on earth, showcasing truths. Aunt Betty, for each of us eleven Kreshel children, revealed a bit about how God, our heavenly Father, feels about us.

I am His Favorite. I am His beloved one, cherished and chosen. I’m not sure how He does it (but Aunt Betty must have taken His course), but every single one of us is his MOST favorite child.

Why this is important to understand: as you take in your belovedness, that knowledge will shape and change you (because that is what love does). And friends, the most powerful force on earth is a woman that knows she is loved. And then you will turn and become Aunt Betty for others, loving them with that radical, unconditional love, a love that leads your people to accept themselves, then, over time, accepting the love of God the Father.

Friends, if you’d like to go deeper into this realm, check out my course Inside Out. Once you are in, hone in on Lesson 9. That is the lesson on real beauty. You will love it.