Beauty

Are you beautiful?

What does it take to be a beautiful woman?

Beauty is our opportunity to allow God to come in and it's how we experience God.

From the book Captivating, by Staci Eldredge, women have that innate element of beauty from God.  The book describes a young lady who is 'put together', jogs 6-8 miles a day, and wears really cute clothes.  There's something wrong though ... the beauty is not inviting.  

You are not invited in because she is striving.

Another woman was absolutely stunning and beautiful.  
Her soul was at rest. 
She made you feel at rest when you were in her presence.  She invited you in.  

Totally different than a woman who is striving to maintain her beauty which is a slippery slope because it's totally fleeting and put on by effort.

A truly beautiful woman is comfortable with herself ... at rest ... The second woman described here was 72 years old.

With all of the marketing of beauty products I've noticed lately, I can see this is an issue for women, it is for me...
I have been considering this lately and have been consciously observing women.  Asking, "Is she beautiful?  What makes her inviting?"

As I watch and listen I reflect on my life.

A single mother of two, divorced woman ... striving.  

In order to be invited in, your heart must be 'at rest'.

Well, that explains it ... that rest word--until now, haven't EVER known that.

Staci explains,

"You see, ultimately, a woman invites us to know God. To experience through her that God is merciful.  That he is tender and kind.  That God longs for us--to be known by us and to know us."

Any woman can 'create' that perfect look -- what we 'think' is beauty. Buy some products, have a couple of minor surgeries ...  But that is not the beauty I'm out to discover.

As Staci continues

"The scariest thing for women is to offer our beauty into situations where we don't know if it will make any difference. Or worse, that we will be rejected.  For our Question is, Am I lovely?  And to be rejected is to hear a resounding, NO. A woman doesn't want to offer her beauty unless she is guaranteed that it will be well received."

So there it is ... fear.

"Isn't that why we hide, why we strive why we control, why we do anything but offer beauty?"

I have shared in my previous posts about my childhood (which, by the way, was a very good childhood) but I acquired some wounds and beliefs about myself.  I am the third daughter of four children.  My brother is 18 months younger than me.  I have been striving my whole life ... that's why it's in bold ... I typed it in bold for me.

An amazing thing happened to me when I visited my parents recently.  It will sound a bit silly, but it will demonstrate what I'm talking about.

My Mom asked my Dad to go get her a vanilla milkshake.  My Dad asked me if I wanted anything, I said "oh, maybe something chocolate".  Off he went.  When he returned, he handed Mom her small vanilla milkshake (exactly what she ordered), handed me a huge chocolate milkshake.  He said "that's double chocolate".

And that's not all ...

He reached into his jacket and pulled out a grocery bag with two packages of (six each) Hershey chocolate bars.  He said "I didn't know what kind of chocolate you liked so I bought both."

Now to get this right, in my life previously, I would have thought "why such an over the top chocolate effort Dad, don't you know I eat healthy?".  But I am in as close a relationship to Jesus than ever before in my life and I am very content in knowing who I am in Christ.  So, God revealed my Dad's heart and love for me.  It's chocolate, yea I get it--small thing--but to me HUGE thing.  This man (oh, by the way, he's in his 80's) got out of his vehicle to walk into a store to buy me chocolate!

When it was time for us to leave and find our vehicles in the parking lot, Dad asked me where I parked.  I pointed to the far lot on the right.  He got in his vehicle and I took off to the lot where I 'thought' my car was ... and it was NOT there.  I had to walk back where he was parked ... he was watching ... to get to the other lot.  I pointed at my car as I approached it laughing, but very embarrassed.  As I was getting in my car, Dad pulled up next to me.  He rolled down his window as said "Crank it."  Again, in my life prior to this moment, I would have been so independent-minded this would have irritated me ... but it didn't ...  He was making sure my car started.  Once my car started, Dad said "now you know where you are and where to turn to get to our house, right?"  Again ... irritation or love?  LOVE!!!  Yep!! He's showing me he loves me.

Can you see ... my Question unanswered in my perceptions from my Dad in the past, caused me to strive.  Now -- Question answered; first by God -- because I have been seeking Him -- now Dad.

One more thing.  Do you realize who we are to God? He calls us His Crown of Creation.  Staci says "we are the crescendo, the finale, astonishing work of God ... from 1 Cor. 11:7 Paul writes, man "is the image and glory of God; but the woman is the glory of man".

Lord,
Help me to remember I am loved and I am beautiful just as I am.  Continue to show me how to stop striving and how to become more inviting.  I desire to welcome in, not turn away people; to experience You.
Oh, and God ... thanks for my Dad.
Amen