I see advertisements and YouTube videos of girls ranging in age starting at 2, who, in all their frills and curls, with makeup unnecessarily pasted inches thick on their precious little faces, parade across the stage and shake their wildly undeveloped "stuff" in order to be judged on their "beauty."
I see commercials that act as if they are ants: overwhelming in number, impossible to avoid, and crawling all over the conscience of every woman. These ants are telling us how by losing those extra pounds we can gain the confidence we've always wanted, and the flat sexy abs we didn't even know existed under our little pooches...or big pooches. They even wear bikinis and big wide smiles to prove it.
I opened my e-mail today and was greeted by a Victoria Secret message just for me that promised I could "Get even more (2 cup sizes more) gorgeous for Valentine's Day."
What we have is not enough. There is always something to be fixed.
...
Then I turn and look at my little girl and see her innocently squealing and giggling at the flashing lights of a toy. And in her innocence she is radiant. Radiantly and unknowingly shining her beauty for all to see. With rolls on her legs, drool on her chin, and hair flying in every direction, she is completely unaware of any social criterion on what it means to be "beautiful."
My heart aches for her. I know its only a matter of time before the world begins to attack her pure shine and begin to tell her that she is not good enough. If only I could put a little shield around her heart and mind so that she would always be unaware of this "criteria" rubbish. Fear begins to overwhelm me as I know this is impossible. I think about the day when she will look in the mirror and instead of seeing a sweet little baby that makes her smile she will begin to see herself and what she deems to be "flaws" on her fearfully and wonderfully made face and body.
I plead with God that she would know what true beauty means. I pray that she would not see herself as an object to be picked apart and judged according to some standard set by imperfect man. Rather that she would look in the mirror and see a daughter of the Most High King who was made just the way He wanted, in His Image, and is undeservedly yet graciously treasured by Him.
I pray that instead of worrying about a beauty scale or the weight scale she would be concerned with things of much greater value. Loving others. Having compassion on people. Fighting for the souls of the lost. Walking with the Lord. Glorifying Him.
"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." -1 Peter 3: 3-4
I love how in this verse God makes sure we women know that there is a kind of beauty that isn't going to fall into the deeps of our wrinkles and get lost forever. That there is a kind that is unfading. How perfect is it that this is the kind that God finds of great worth. I'll take that over the meaningless fading beauty that we women fight so hard to gain and maintain. I'll take that any day.
Lynley, no man can make you feel flawlessly beautiful (not even one as wonderful as your daddy), Jenny Craig and Jillian Michaels together can't do it, and it’s most definitely not going to come from Maybelline. If you judge yourself according to worldly standards there will always be something about yourself that is disappointing or disgusting. I know. I've been there...I'm still there. Every woman who is not lying to herself is there. True satisfaction comes from God alone and it’s an everyday battle to remember that and to rest in it.
I'm hoping that one day that this verse out of 1 Peter will stab through all the lies and garbage that the world will try to make you believe and it will pierce the very core of your heart with the truth. That same core part of your heart that is constantly broken when you look at your reflection and think your nose is way too big or your eyes are way too small, you feel like your boonie is too frumpy, and you hate that you are the *I.B.T.C. Instead, with this truth, you can think about whom the true Judge of beauty is and what it is that He is measuring. And know that as He is measuring what really matters He is going to be adoring just how perfect He made the outside of you too.
(*the Itty Bitty Titty Committee)
With that knowledge, I pray that you would continue to confidently and radiantly shine your perfectly unique Lynley beauty every day for the rest of your life, just as you do now...
