Beauty (noun): the qualities of a person or thing that give pleasure to the senses or to the mind; a particularly graceful or excellent quality
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, right? I agree, but I think it’s important that I acknowledge the most important “beholder” is God Almighty. Does He see me as beautiful? Scripture tells me that God weighs my beauty by my heart, my gentle spirit, my inner self.
- Rather, [your beauty] should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight. 1 Peter 3:4 NIV
- But the Lord said to Samuel, “…the Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” 1 Samuel 16:7
Only God can truly see the complete inner me, so only He can know my awesome beauty. Besides, He created me! He recognizes His own artwork when He looks at my heart.
MercyMe’s song “Beautiful” is full of these great reminders…
You are treasured
You are sacred
You are His
You’re Beautiful
Many years ago, when my two boys were still in elementary school, I had an amazing dream about being pregnant. In this dream, I watched the baby emerge from my belly in slow motion, but I was not in any pain. When she finally arrived, she appeared more like a three-year-old toddler than a newborn. This little girl had brown curly hair and glittered from head to toe (dreams are so hard to explain in words!), or another way to say it, she “sparkled”.
She reminded me of a young Shirley Temple, with those irresistible curls, dimply smile, and magnetic charm. All my family gathered around, and we talked about what her name should be. The “baby” spoke up at this time and informed us that her name was “GLEE”. Yes! This was the perfect word to describe her personality, as well as the feelings she brought out in the rest of us. We knew immediately that she spoke the truth.
I awoke from the dream with GLEE on my mind and in my heart. How could a little girl in a dream leave such an impression on me?
For many years after this dream, I reflected on it with bitter sweetness. I thought the dream represented something missing in my life, the daughter I never had. Sometimes I would get hopeful that the dream foretold something from my future. And then finally, I had that moment of clarity that only the Holy Spirit can provide, and I realized….
I AM GLEE.
This dream was my “born of the spirit” story. This curly-haired, sparkling beauty, who makes others feel gleeful, is my true spirit, my inner being, the nature of my heart. This is who I am in His sight, the part of me that will live eternally.
By embracing “GLEE” as me, I finally accepted my Beauty. Now in times of prayer, I hear God call me by name (JAMIE), yet also hear him call me by heart (GLEE). Both are beautiful names to my ears.
My challenge in this earthly life is to stop letting my ego, my sin, my selfishness, other idols, my physical size, suffocate GLEE. She needs and wants to live abundantly in this life, just as much as in the next.
He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end. Ecclesiastes 3:11