Happy Wednesday Lovelies!
I'm writing to you from my couch, with my
cup of coffee of course! If you
could see me, you might gasp. I have a homemade mask on... which my brother
likes to call it caca-face,
I call it chocolate. But that's not what today's post is about. The mask has a
little to do; but not the chocolate, though now I have chocolate on the brain!
I recently watched a news clip about the
ever changing standard of beauty. It immediately caught my attention. As a
Latin/Hispanic woman I cringed watching this clip. Take a look:
“I say that inner beauty does not exist. That’s something
that unpretty women invented to
justify themselves.” –Osmel Sosa
I think of all the young girls, who like myself at their age,
believe the lie that our worth is found in a “standard” of beauty. To say that
inner beauty does not exist, is to say that your personality, character, talents,
and achievements are of no value. These are all God created and given, and God is beauty.
If 14 year old Me would have pursued the standard of beauty
that I longed for, I would most likely be dead because of the
Anorexia. But most importantly, I would have missed out on discovering the many
wonderful truths, lessons, and people that have added worth and value to my life:
Intimately knowing the love of God
Growing in knowledge of God’s purpose(s) for my life
Learning what my God given gifts and talents are
Developing those gifts and talents for the good of others
Using my not-so-standard-of-beauty body to serve others
Using my story to help girls and women
Traveling the world for pleasure and for missions
Loving and being loved by family and friends
My less than perfect life is also a complete life. And by
complete I must include those moments of fear, loss, and trials. These have
each taught me a lesson that add worth and value to my life.
I can’t help but think of Peter’s words:
Don’t be concerned about the
outward beauty of fancy hairstyles, expensive jewelry, or beautiful clothes. You should clothe yourselves instead with the
beauty that comes from within, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet
spirit, which is so precious to God. 1
Peter 3:3-4 NLT
The New King James Version uses the words: Incorruptible
Beauty
In other words, this standard of beauty is unfading,
incorruptible, honorable, admirable, worthy, good, praiseworthy, estimable,
wonderful, and exemplary.
I would do you a disservice if I didn’t quote Allie MarieSmith on the definition of a woman who possesses an incorruptible beauty:
“Such a woman is at peace with her God. She trusts him completely a her number one relationship in her life. She understands where true value and worth lies- that it’s not in the clothes she wears, the guy she dates, or her socioeconomic background. She’s fully aware of her identity as a beloved daughter of God. Her spirit is at rest- gentle and quiet because she knows that no matter what trouble comes her way; her future in Christ is secure. No amount of striving, accomplishments, or external beauty can maker her more valuable or loved in the eyes of her Lord. That, my girl is a beautiful woman.” -HEAL, page 113
So here I am, with a facial mask on in an attempt to rid
my face of acne. I’m also contemplating what nail polish to wear and what
lipstick to buy. I’ve learned that being girly is ok, as long as my heart is in
check. And though I love all things fashion, makeup, and dressing up, I love The Lord more. His standard of beauty is the one I seek and long for.
And so I leave you Lauren Scruggs. She has a story that
completely shatters Osmel Sosa and our society’s twisted ideals.
