There, I said it! I want to be a thirtysomething, fiery redhead, living in Canada, raising three tinies and passionately loving Jesus with every fiber of my soul. Ok, not really, I am so blessed with what God is doing in me here and now with my 40something life in the States where I am learning everyday about His grace.
Sarah knows I love her. I have told her more than once. I will keep telling her. I am so blessed by what God is doing in her and through her. She has wisdom that would seem to be beyond her years but this is coming from an older woman who longingly looks back to those years, wondering "what if" I was that wise back in those days.
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I have shared my feelings about true beauty in women. As I read her piece this morning, my mind immediately went to my own Princess. The one born with a rare genetic disorder that caused multiple birth defects. My little girl will always wear diapers, is learning to walk at the age of 12, does not have the ability to speak and would seem to be locked in a body that will never be considered the world's standard of "beauty" and it makes me sad.
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| Taken by Shae Steffensen A true artist who knows about true beauty |
Don't get me wrong, I am not sad for my girl. She has an intimacy with her Creator. You know, the one who says she is "fearfully and wonderfully made". She is strong, gentle, kind, spunky, funny and so beautiful that sometimes I stare at her. It is society that is missing out. People who are not the "right" height, weight, race, intelligence or "socio economic group" to be considered as valuable. Yet, the God who made us, sees our everything in us. He sees our past, present, future and loves us with "an everlasting love". He sees our follies, our focus with our imperfect hearts and still adores us.
Yesterday a friend voiced frustration about her son's stature always being pointed out. I have seen this same discussion about individuals who are taller than most as well. I wonder, at what height does someone get to avoid the comments? At what weight do we become acceptable? When I was young it was the MetLife Weight charts, then it went to BMI and now that is being abolished! How can we hold people to a standard when the standard keeps changing?
My goal is God's standard for me. You can't find that on a weight chart or in a size standard. Besides, what good would being thin be if I lacked grace, mercy, kindness and devotion for God? How about, like Sarah, teaching our children the value of truly accepting what is unique about each one of us. If we allow our focus to simply be to what Jesus said in Matthew 22:37 “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’
Always,
Hope
4 comments:
Would you please link to Sarah's blog? :)
Oops, I didn't make it obvious! :-) Hover over her name at the top of the post, it is there and here: http://sarahbessey.com/
So true, and such an encouragement to focus on what's really important. Thank you. And I would love to see that link, too.
I adjusted the settings so the links will highlight. Let me know if you can't see them. I have both the links to the post and the link to here actual blog.
Thank you for pointing that out. :-)
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