I found a journal of mine today from early 2011. I was 13 at the time, and a lot of the entries surprised me with their level of immaturity. One entry that I read made me cry, though.
It began by telling about the day, which had started off okay and then hadn't gone well. This is the part that hit me:
"Then I went into the bathroom to wash my face. And I almost started crying again. The face staring back at me in the mirror was swollen and red, the eyes rimmed with black. THIS is the person God has great plans for?!? This crying, bloated face is the one everyone says is always smiling and beautiful?!

This wretched, ugly person could not be one of God's children."
I was certainly convinced of this at the time. God is perfect, spotless, and holy, right? He couldn't have me around, making Him look bad. The pretty, popular girls at school had taught me that lesson: don't try to mingle with those greater than you.
Looking back, my heart aches for that lonely, down-trodden girl. I know now that because of Jesus, my ugliness has been removed, to be replaced by His righteousness. I can stand with God, and He can call me His own, because He doesn't see me anymore. He sees Himself in me.
Yes, God has plans for the one with the red face soaked in tears. He has plans for the one with scars crossing the body. He has plans for the wretched one. He delights in taking what is broken and putting it back together, then putting it on display: "THIS is who I have made, and I am well pleased."
You can choose to follow your plans or to follow God's plans. One will leave you broken and hopeless; the other leads to restoration and life. Which will you choose?