Just The Way I Am

Last night I was able to put on my husbands favorite black dress with the spaghetti straps and my open toed high heels. I walked into the living room and he actually whistled! He looked at me and said, "Marion, you are so beautiful!" and he said it not just with his words, but also with his eyes. In that moment that's exactly how I felt-beautiful. It didn't matter what anyone else thought, I knew he adored me. I am blessed to be married to a man who tries on a regular basis to tell me how much he loves me. I hear other husbands tell their wives they are fat or they wished their wife looked more like some celebrity or they want them to dye their hair a certain color, on and on I could go. If you are one of these types of men-please stop next time you even come close to saying something like that. You have no idea what it will do to a woman's heart and self esteem.

I have noticed that no matter how young or old we women get, we all want to be found beautiful. My daughter started very young and still asks my husband, "Daddy, do you think I look pretty?" or "Do you like my outfit?" which I keep telling him, means the same thing. She is seeking his approval. When my Gramma was alive she'd always say, "Make sure you have lipstick on or you'll look like you're dead!" and she always made sure she had her lipstick on! It made her feel beautiful. My (great-grandmother) Granny was in her 80's when she passed away. When she was alive, I always made a point to comment on her outfit, telling her she looked beautiful. Her eyes would light up and she'd tell me where she bought it, getting as excited as a teenager talking about a recent shopping trip to the mall. The other week, I was at church and there were two women, one in her twenties and one in her fifties who were talking about what they were wearing for church. Both wishing they were skinnier and both complained of having to find something they felt good in to wear to church. Though many years apart, they were the same in how they felt.

I have this philosophy, if you feel bad in what you are wearing-change you're clothes. You're whole mannerisms show up in how you feel on the inside. Last night I felt beautiful. I felt confident (but not overly confident-I was still checking my lipstick every five minutes in the car before we got to our destination!) and so I was more at ease with my surroundings. There are other days (like this morning) where its cold outside and I have nothing to wear and I know whatever I do wear, I'm going to feel crummy in.

We live in such a materialistic world. There are thousands of different wrinkle creams and self tanners. People dye their hair and walk around with perfectly manicured fingernails and toe nails. We spend a fortune on our clothes and shoes making sure we look right. I'm not saying any of this is wrong. I use self tanners every once in a while, I'd go get a manicure/pedicure of I had the time and money and I know one day-I will dye my hair to get rid of the grey and I will use wrinkle cream! :-)

Last night as I basked in the adoration of my husband, I thought, "How any times do I bask in the glow of my Lord?" How many times do I seek His approval over the approval of man? If my heart is right with Him-He finds me beautiful all the time, no matter what clothes I'm wearing or if I have a pimple on my face or if I'm having a bad hair day. He looks down from heaven and says, "Wow, You sure are beautiful!"

Think about that for a moment, the God of the universe, the maker of heaven and earth finds you beautiful. It's almost hard to let that one sink in or to even try to comprehend it. Whenever I get hard on myself looking and wishing there was something I could change about the way I am made, I remind myself- I was created in His image. He made me the way I am for a purpose. Whenever I wish I was skinnier or prettier or whatever-I am insulting Him. I am insulting the time and effort He put in to create me just the way I am. There is a reason we are not all built the same. We are each unique. If He puts as much time and effort into making each and every snowflake different-think of the time and effort He put into making you! Each of our hairs are numbered, our fingerprints are unlike anyone elses, He knows you better than you know yourself.

Don't ever forget-you are dearly loved and you are deeply adored by your Heavenly Father. And He made you perfect-just the way you are!

"Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you..."

~Jeremiah 1:5a