Beauty has been distorted.
The term "beautiful", who can really describe it? Well, after two weeks in Africa, I can. I took a step back from what society says, no, what society screams at a young women like me, on how to be "beautiful". I instead turned my back on that lie, and embraced real beauty. One that can never be confined by society. It's not me who isn't "beautiful", it's the ugly society telling me I'm not good enough. And I'm here to say, I really don't care anymore.
Beauty is written all over the face of my sister, Suzie. I first met her amidst a dark room. She laid there helpless on the torn up couch, Malaria overtaking her body. I kneeled down next to her face and then, I started to pray. I cried out to the Lord to heal His Beloved daughter and my precious sister. Underneath the sickness, and the emptiness of her stare, I saw hope. That night, I saw the most pure form of beauty, a beauty that is only from the Lord. This was hope in her Heavenly Father. That He would hear our cries and would raise her up from this couch and she will live once again. I went home that night, knowing that Suzie was still sprawled out on the couch, dying. The only thing that let me sleep that night was the hope I saw in her eyes. I knew this wasn't the end. She will be healed. This is pure beauty.
I see beauty in the heart of my team. This is who we are: We are broken people, who are broken no more because of the blood of Jesus. We have been repaired. We are missionaries proclaiming Our Father's beauty to the masses in Africa. That's selfless beautiful.
My beauty is not found in my body. 200 years from now people will not remember how pretty my profile picture is on Facebook, or what I wore to prom. That's temporary. The beauty I hold is eternal. I know I have been created in the perfect image of Christ. He looks past my sinful nature, and sees my true beauty. He looks down at me and delights in the women of God he has created me to be. When the God of the universe says to me, "Grace, YOU are my beautiful daughter", that surpasses all other so-called "beauty". This is absolute beauty.
"Though outwardly we are wasting away, but inwardly we are being renewed day by day."
2 Corinthians 4:16
Remember Suzie? Four days after I saw her on her deathbed, I had the privilege of holding her hand once again. However, she wasn't subjected to the dark, lifeless room. Instead she stood strong on her own two feet. Her smile lit up the church. Tears of joy ran down her face as she kissed me and embraced me. All she said was, Thank you, I love you. We danced and sang for hours, worshipping and praising our God together. The God who saves the weak and weary. This is real beauty.
The Lord saw past my sin and saw past Suzie's sickness. Suzie and I are no different. We both were risen from our festering bed of darkness and can now smile and praise Our Father who is far greater than any addiction, any sickness, any hurt and situation. We are both beautiful.
"Jesus, You make beautiful things out of the dust" -Gungor
Are YOU beautiful?
