A Flawed Perception...

       A mirror hangs on the wall in front of her. She cautiously approaches it until her reflection appears in the glass. She jumps back, but approaches once more, this time placing her hand on the glass almost as if she could touch the face staring back at her. She feels a tear trickle down her cheek. The agony of not being beautiful raged within her heart. She had heard the words from the other girls incessantly "You're not a pretty as she is." and "I know a great work-out program that could help you lose weight." and even "It's a shame you didn't get the beautiful hair and skin that your sister got." Even though these phrases may have not seemed like much to anyone else, they were the ones that pierced through her heart like a dagger, leaving scars with each plunge. The girls and their words weren't the end of it though. Every day, everywhere that she went there were messages of what true beauty was, a size 0, long blonde hair, long, thin legs, and pronounced collar bones. Every model she observed had all those traits and more. They were the beautiful people and she was nothing, no boy would ever be interested in pursuing a girl who wasn't beautiful. As she let the thoughts melt away she examined herself more closely in the mirror. Then she remembered the words that one of her friends had told her that day at school, "I didn't used to be beautiful, I had to make myself this way. I simply just purged myself from all ugliness in every way. I got rid of all my clothes and bought new ones, invested in the most expensive make-up line, and then I even learned a way to lose weight faster, it's so easy, and when it's all said and done you look great!" She felt she knew what she had to do. It was scary trying what she had been shown for the first time, but as she walked away from the mirror and towards the bathroom she smiled to herself and though, "This is what will make me beautiful, and I will not stop until I am, even if it kills me."

The perception of the beauty that the world has created is deadly. All over America girls, beginning at the age of nine, look around and see all the tabloids and the messages that are conveyed by the models and movie stars on the covers of those magazines. They hear it in the songs on the radio and see it on almost every TV show. The perception is this, being skinny makes you beautiful, anything else makes you unattractive, women must dress in a way to allure men, girls must wear make-up to be pretty, and the list goes on and on. Are you beginning to see why this perception is so deadly?

The world screams out about what beauty is, even young Christian ladies hear the cries and believe what they hear while pushing away the small, still voice inside their hearts that says "You are more than enough, you are beautiful because you are exactly the way that I created you to be." Mind you there comes in the reality that taking care of our bodies is important, but that is beside the point I am trying to make. The point is this. We were created in the image of a wonderful and powerful God who has the ability to change us in a second if He wanted to, but He doesn't now does He? No! He doesn't, because we are already exactly the way that He wants us to be! We are beautiful in His sight. Yes, this is a highly difficult concept to grasp and live each and every day because of all the noise about beauty that surrounds us every day, but think about this...

If you do not think that you are pretty enough or good enough because you have flaws...you need to realize that you have those because those flaws make you who you are! They are what make you the most beautiful, because God gave them specifically to you. This is a lesson that I have had to learn recently. Through a series of events and going to see a nutritionist I have learned that my diet is not what it should be, and this has lead to some health issues that I am facing. I allowed myself to be influenced by the world's perspective of beauty rather than listening to God's still, small voice reminding me how much he loves me and how perfect He knows that I am. I allowed a flawed perception to have a big impact in my life.

Never forget....never forget how absolutely beautiful and perfect you are, simply because you are exactly who God created you to be. You are wanted, you are loved, and you are beautiful.

"I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.

Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well."

- Psalm 139:14