Beauty

Today I was listening to the radio while I was getting ready for my day. Nothing crazy, in fact a pretty normal occurrence. As I was listening though, a commercial came on for plastic surgery. It was talking about how it would look natural and didn't you want "to finally be happy with the way you look?" I was so struck by the message that they were sending all the women who would be listening. Didn't these women realize that no matter how many times you change things on the outside, the ultimate change had to be of the heart?

I'm not gonna lie. Beauty is a hard thing to come to term with when you are a Christian girl. When the world and Cosmo and everything around you is telling you that beauty is 5'10", long legged, skinny and tan it is impossible to believe you measure up. But the one thing that I do know is that the Lord delights in me.

"For you created my inmost being;

you knit me together in my mother's womb.

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;

your works are wonderful,

I know that full well. 

My frame was not hidden from you 

when I was made in the secret place.

When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,

your eyes saw my unformed body.

Psalm 139:13-16

Do these women realize that the Creator has created them perfectly, in his own image. That they are beautiful to him? I think as women it takes a long time and constant reminders to come to terms with this. For me it was when I read Psalm 45:11, 

"The king is enthralled by your beauty; honor him, for he is your lord."

 Now in context the author is not talking about me and God. He is talking about Solomon and his wife but the Lord feels the exact same way about me. It's hard to imagine. The word enthralled comes from a greek word that I can't say but it means to crave or desire. Which is ultimately what most women want. It hurts me to think of all the times that I have looked at myself and said "God you didn't do a good enough job with me." Which is essentially what we are saying. I would never go up to Michaelangelo and say "Man you sure did do an awful job on the Mona Lisa." So why do I do that with God?

We are the Lord's masterpieces and its about time we start realizing it. Every time I think about how I wish I had red hair or that I was skinnier or was tanner, I am insulting the Creator. I love knowing that the King is enthralled by my beauty and that He delights in me. What a wonderful feeling. I just wish that more women knew it too.