Beauty

Today, I made this my facebook status,
“There are certain women I can think of who have such a beauty about them that has nothing to do with the way they look. I’ve tried to figure it out before as I study their outward appearance and don’t find anything necessarily special about it. I’ve come to the conclusion that it is solely the way they carry themselves with such effortless grace and maturity. Women where you can almost see the beauty of their soul itself. I hope I’m seen that way. And for women I do see that way, thank you for being such stunning examples.
“Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting;
but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.” Prov. 31:30”

I decided I wanted to take that a little further because there’s such a good message behind it.

Everyone in the world today focus’ so much on outward beauty and appearance. I do too. Way too much.

-“Look what they’re wearing.”

-“How did they let themselves go so far?”

-“Their face would be so pretty if not for all those acne scars.” 

-“Marry the first girl that shows interest, buddy.”

It’s sad but also so true. Some of those were pretty detailed. Mostly because I want to be honest and say I’ve thought things about other people. I’m sure someone just popped into your head that you’ve thought something mean about before. We’re judgmental creatures. But we don’t have to be. As we let our mind be transformed by the word of God, our thinking and the way we view people can and will change. (Repeat to yourself often. It can and will change. Haha.)

I sat on my bed thinking those thoughts about the beauty of certain women that turned into that facebook status. It’s so crazy to me, as someone who puts too much stock into outward beauty, how lovely certain people could be. I don’t even remember why I was thinking about it. It must have just been something God dropped into my heart. I started remembering women and girls I had met, that are friends, or that I’ve been around that have nothing special about their faces or bodies, but that show such a beauty through them. You could look at them once and go, “Eh” or point something out on them that was wrong or unattractive, but through one experience of talking to them you walk away thinking, “I just met the most beautiful woman in the world.”

In this world of daisy duked, size 0, symmetrical faced, airbrushed, bust enhanced, impossible women, it’s so hard to remember that your beauty can come from within. You may look in the mirror and not think much of yourself or look down on the imperfections you see, but the grace, dignity, love, kindness, mercy, patience, character, etc you decide to carry yourself with reveals levels of beauty that you don’t even understand. I know I don’t always carry myself that way. But I know how I’ve witnessed it in other people to know that it is true. 

I know men who care too much about looks (women too). Don’t get me wrong, you need to be attracted to who you marry. There’s just a difference between that and finding a fault of appearance in every single person of the opposite sex. In the end, you either go to sleep alone every night for the rest of your life or you open your eyes to the beauty of a women who will love the Lord with all her strength, strive to love you unconditionally, deliver your 8 pound babies, raise them with mercy and compassion, tenderly care for your wounds and sicknesses, carries your household with strength, has kindness and patience to spare.

The beauty of God is so much more than we could ever outwardly show. You probably don't have His nose, eyes, legs, figure,etc, but you do have His kindness, His mercy, His love, His patience, His spirit living inside of you. That beauty, His beauty, outshines everything else.

But warnings... if we aren't showing THIS beauty, we can't be upset with men for finding other beauty. We can't blame men for not looking for women like this when we're not trying to be those women.

The beauty of this world, the fashion trends, the make up, the magazines, it’s all fleeting. Being a woman of noble character who choses to continually refine her soul lasts forever. AND it IS seen with earthly eyes too. Don’t aim to be America’s Next Top Model. Yeah. They’re pretty. But there is a beauty, wonder, and grace about the women who fear the Lord. Even if you don’t see it about yourself, I promise there are other women (and men), like me, who see it and awe.

Ariel