"beautiful creatures"

     In the words of Martina McBride, "this one's for the girls".  I mean technically, the guys could appreciate this post, too.  But today, I am particularly speaking to my sisters.
     Beauty.  We all strive for it.  We long for it from the time we are a little girl to the day we close our eyes in death.  Every girl-- young and old, wants to be "beautiful".  How else will our Prince Charming notice us?

     Why is it that we put so much work into being beautiful?  Why do we put so much pressure on ourselves to look a certain way, weigh a certain number, fit into an unrealistic jean size?  Truth is, we already know the answer. It's the photo-shopped girls staring back at us from the magazine stands at the check-out line.  The painted faces declaring that we should be wearing this type of eyeshadow and that color lipstick.  The Hollywood movie star kissing her lover, his hands wrapped delicately aroud her petite 22-inch waist.  We put the blood, sweat and tears into being "beautiful" because we haven't realized, believed or accepted the true meaning of beauty.  Oh, we get what the world is telling us about beauty and how we'll never actually attain it.  But just like everything else of the world, this is a misconception, better yet, it's a lie. 
     1 Peter 3 verses 3-4 is at the top of my list of favorite verses from the Bible.  "Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes.  Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight."  Daughter of the Lord, do you realize what this is saying?  You've probably heard your mother tell you once or twice, that beauty comes from within.  Turns out, ole' mom wasn't so old-fashioned in her way of thinking after all!
     Today, my heart was blessed after reading a beautifully written article titled, "What Is Beautiful?" (click to read).  The writer does an amazing job of redefining how we characterize beauty, and I really encourage you to read it. It ultimately inspired me to write this post, something I think God has been preparing me to write for several months.
      I have this friend.  She is a really great friend.  I've talked her ears off (figuratively), and I've cried on her shoulder (literally).  She comes to me for advice.  I share with her what I know.  We pray together.  In fact, I pray for her all the time.  She is awesome.  And, she is beautiful.  But like most of us, sometimes, she has a hard time believing it. 
     There's one day in particular that stands out in my mind between my friend and me.  I had just recently returned from a summer abroad in Europe, and I quite possibly consumed more pastries, pasta and gelato than I normally would here in the States.  Needless to say, I put on a few pounds.  Determined to get the extra weight off, I started a strict diet of protein, veggies, and carb-friendly meal bars (yuck).  I wanted to build my running mileage back up to where it had been before my travels, and I figured this diet of mine was the quickest way to do it. Then there was the fact that I returned home to a bridesmaid dress that had once fit perfectly and now wouldn't zip; and the wedding just so happened to be the following weekend! Yikes... (that's another story-- but yeah, we made it work; didn't we Michelle!) 
     So as I was saying,... this one particular day, I was eating my 'cardboard' meal bar and my friend asks why I'm eating this piece of junk.  I'm going on about wanting to lose a few pounds and improve on my running time, tone up a bit, yadda yadda, and she's looking at me like I'm out in left field.  I'm like, "you wouldn't understand, you're a skinny gut!", and she looks at me, with a hint of saddness in her eyes, that I'll never be able to forget.  She then tells me she had once been overweight and had struggled with an eating disorder throughout high school.  She says there were days when she would eat nothing more than cereal and water, while other days, she would binge and purge on boxes of cookies and bags of chips.  She explained that she would go to the gym and walk on the treadmill for hours at a time.  She admits that during this time, she dropped a lot of weight, but says she was plaiged with moodswings.  The smallest of things would make her angry, and she would, at times, shout out at the people she loved the most.  As she was telling me all of this, I asked her why she would do this to herself. She explained that when it come to herself, to be beautiful meant being skinny.  This made me sad; it still does when I think back to that conversation. 
     Since that day though, something has changed within me.  I've done some reevaluating, and was finally honest with myself about why I was freaking out about losing those extra 5 pounds I had acquired in Europe.  I was mad at myself for eating that croissant in Paris, disgusted with all the toast I had consumed in London, furious for indulging in that extra scoop of gelato in Rome.  But I've since come to realize just how silly I was being.  I had been associating beauty (or the lack thereof) with the extra 5 pounds staring back at me in the mirror.  True:  I had been taught the definition of true beauty (something that's found on the inside) throughout my childhood.  And for the most part, I understood it and believed it.  But there was still something ingrained within me that told myself I should look a certain way. 
     I would like to add though, how important I think it is to live a healthy lifestyle.  We should be making wise food choices everyday, in addition to being active.  And I think this is part of Godly living:  because "our body is God's temple". (1 Cor 6:19)  But when we begin obsessing over the scale-- or the mirror for that matter, that's a sign that we're attempting to find our identity in the world's perception of ourselves, rather than in Christ.

     This past weekend, my friend Carrie V. introduced me to a group of 10 girls with whom she attends church.  We had the opportunity to fellowship with one another, and I was encouraged to read their group study:  a book called "Perfectly Unique" by Annie Downs.  It explains how we are to glorify and praise God with our whole self, our whole body-- "from head to foot".  I've just finished the second chapter, so I've a little ways to go before I finish, but I can already tell you: so far, I like what I've read.  I encourage you to go buy this book, and read along with me.  There's a lot of girl-realted truth in there, something each of can relate to.
     As I sat there, enjoying my dinner at the Olive Garden, and getting to know each of the girls, I was overcome with appreciation for the magnificent craftsmanship of Our Creator.  Each of my new friends-- different in appearance and in personality.  Some shy, others who should consider a comedic profession. But each of them with one thing in common: glowing with love for Jesus, each beautiful.
     Coming from a girl who has a deep love for art:  all things Van Gogh, Monet, and Pollack-- I have to admit there is One Artist who surpasses them all.  Variations of hair textures (curly, straight, thick, fine) and eye colors; freckles, hawk noses and full lips; full-figured beauties and petite dolls, too: every last detail thought out by the One who made you.  The desires in your heart, your personaltiy quirks, even down to the way you laugh-- He designed every little detail.  He made only one of you.  You're one of a kind.  And if that doesn't make your heart flutter, hear this:  You were worth the work, and you were worth His time-- the Creator of the world, chose to create you.  You are special.  You are part of His plan.  And yes:  you are beautiful.  Accept it.  Live it.  Believe it.