Hello Beautiful!

“Strength and dignity are her clothing and her position is strong and secure; And she rejoices over the future (the latter day or time to come, knowing that she and her family are in readiness for it)!”  Prov. 31:

Us women all have this picture in our mind, of what we think is a beautiful woman.

We all desperately want to be this beautiful woman.

But we’re not exactly sure how to become that picturesque woman.

Over the years as I struggled with this subject of beauty myself, I’ve talked with quite a few other women who were also struggling with the exact  same thing I was; to not only look like a beautiful woman, but also how to really feel like a beautiful woman.

It’s a touchy subject, gals.

But it’s a very important one.

Clothing is a big deal to us women, right?

A pretty big deal, really.

Somehow, we think that is what will make us beautiful.

We spend hours shopping, looking for the perfect outfit, in hopes this one will at least make us feel  beautiful for a few days or weeks.

But, does it?

Is that what makes a woman beautiful?

How does God feel about us women?

Does He care at all how we feel? Does He realize how desperately bad we long to feel beautiful?

In 1 Peter 3 he tells us not to adorn ourselves merely with outward and elaborate clothing, but instead to clothe our hearts with a beautiful spirit.

That isn’t always easy to do, is it?

Especially when you grew up believing lies about yourself.

I haven’t shared my personal story with very many people, only a few have heard me speak of it.

But I would like to share it here with you, in hopes that it can help you on your journey to freedom in regards to beauty. 

As a young girl, I grew up feeling very negative about myself. I realize now how very important it is as a parent, perhaps especially a Dad, to let your daughter know that she is a beautiful person. That God made her beautiful, no matter what everyone else says.

I never heard those words growing up.

Not once.

I wasn’t even aware how negatively I felt about  myself until the day my husband and I sat in a counselor’s office and I heard those words spoken to me for the first time in my life.

Beautiful words, actually. 

“Did you know that you are beautiful?”

The words struck me in the face, and I was unprepared for the words that burst out of my mouth in return.

“I’m ugly,” I answered.

And I burst into tears.

I was so embarrassed, but the words had come out of somewhere deep inside of me, with me not even realizing how deep the pain in my heart was, how badly and fiercely I wanted to feel beautiful.

As the counselor and my husband led me in prayer to the One who created me, and views me as His beautiful daughter, I realized,  perhaps for the first time in my life, that I truly was beautiful!

But years of neglect and verbal abuse had taken it’s toll, and I continued to struggle with viewing myself as beautiful in God’s eyes, but found myself seeking approval from people instead.

We attended a week of church meetings some time later, and the song leader led a small chorus each evening in the middle of the service that was called, Beautiful.

The words cut deep into my heart again, and as the rest of the crowd sang,  the tears started coming again, and my heart felt like it would burst with pain.

I wanted to feel beautiful so badly.

I wanted to know God really and truly saw me as a beautiful woman.

We went back home, and one night I made a special request to God.

And then, I forgot about it.

Two nights later, I had a dream.

In my dream my mother-in-law came walking up to me and started talking and laughing with me.

I was so surprised to see her, so I asked her why she was there, and she just kind of laughed how she always did, and leaning up close to me, she whispered in my ear, “Because you are so beautiful!”

Stunned, I looked at her in amazement, trying to figure out why she was saying that to me, and then, after chatting a few minutes, she leaned forward again, and kissed me gently.

She turned and walked away, and then I woke up.

I was almost shaking, the dream was so very real.

My husband woke about right then, and I told him how I had just seen his Mom.

As we lay there in the dark, discussing the dream, I suddenly remembered something.

A special request.

To a special Father only a few days earlier.

Could it be?

I had prayed earnestly, asking God to show me in some way, that He considered me as His beautiful daughter, and I requested to someday be able to hear Him say, “You are My Beloved Daughter, in whom I am well pleased.”

My mother-in-law had died 12 years prior, and wasn’t even living.

Was my dream only a coincidence?

I still struggle today with always feeling beautiful.

But as I read and study God’s Word, and learn to clothe myself with His strength, and His approval on my life, I know to Him, I am beautiful.

And so are you.

What causes us to believe the lies that we are ugly?

When, even though we wear the latest fashion in clothes, and on the outside, appear to have it all together, we still continue to think of ourselves  as not beautiful?

What is missing?

Is it because we’re not clothed with God’s strength inside of us, and we don’t position ourselves in the security of His love, but allow other’s opinions and approval keep us unsettled, and clothed with weakness?

I do think it important to wear clean and modest clothing, but I do know that is not what makes us beautiful.

Sin is the ultimate reason we don’t feel beautiful, and each one of our hearts need a makeover in order to be beautiful to God.

But the moment you and I were created, God looked down and saw that we were beautiful.

And He wants to make beautiful things of your life.

Hello Beautiful!

“Beautiful, beautiful, Jesus is beautiful, And Jesus makes beautiful things of my life, Carefully touching me, causing my eyes to see, That Jesus makes beautiful things of my life.”