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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)
She walked by in her tossed together tutu delicately trimmed in lace that swished as she moved across the room, a sprarkling tiny rhinestone tiara upon her head, and sliver slippers on her feet. Long brown balogna curls framed her rosy cheeks and puckered lips glistened with a hint of gloss. She took her stance before her performance as a ballerina. She knew she was beautiful because her audience was smiling at her. She was three-years-old. The she in question, was me.
I'm not sure when the dream to be beautiful enters a little girl's mind, but I do know when the dream ends -- with, "may she rest in peace."
The ballerina was just a small part of the daily quest in my inner child. I played dress up all the time when mom was busy. I would sneak into "their" room and find the most beautiful high heels, beautiful beaded purses and long silky jackets way past my stubby little fingers... and then I had to try to walk quietly in shoes way too big for my little feet to put on "my face", which entailed opening the "secret cabinet" in the bathroom where I began creating my own canvas.. my face. Back then my mom had rouge that I applied with the pad, making pronounced bright red circles on my face, and violet eyeshadow adorned my lids and bright pink lipstick completed the ensemble.
From the time any little girl begins this journey of sneaking and peeking at the finished version in the mirror, she begins her journey to wanting to be beautiful. Some learn that beauty is not only on the outside, but it is deep within. Because each of us are exactly who we should be.. the trick comes when we realize that and work with it.
John Eldredge, in his book Wild at Heart, describes three longings that lie at the heart of every man: a battle to fight, a beauty to rescue, an adventure to live. He also ventures to say that women have three longings of the heart as well: to be fought for, to share in an adventure, and to have her beauty unveiled. "Not to conjure," Eldredge explains, "but to unveil." Most women feel the pressure to be beautiful from very young, but that is not what I speak of. There is also a deep desire to simply and truly be the beauty and be delighted in. Most little girls will remember playing dress up, or wedding day, or 'twirling skirts,' those flowing dresses that were perfect for spinning around in. She'll put her pretty dress on, come into the living room and twirl. What she longs for is to capture her daddy's delight." John Eldredge, Wild at Heart (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2001) p16-17
And so the circle continues.. life continues with each of us "longing to capture our love's delight", but, and yes there is a but, the sooner we realize that a woman is one of God's most magnificent masterpieces because of all he put into making her, we have learned the secret to really being beautiful. We are unique masterpieces created by loving hands and we were His grand finale in the world He created. As in the quote from Psalms in the beginning, He saw your unformed body before He started creating you and you were beautiful from that very first moment He began...the hard part of this journey called life is to not compare yourself to any other form of beauty, we are all unique masterpieces and as such a miracle we are all beautiful... we need to learn how to rethink our ways. You do not need to compare yourself to other works of art, but thank the Artist for how He chose to create the masterpiece called...you.
So, for today, while doing the million and one things you have to do, and this goes for both women and men.. remember, you are the only one of you there will ever be. Armed with that knowledge, go out, smile, be confident, and know that you are beautiful, handsome, clever, etc.
I am off to stain the back deck and then I will be done for the next couple of years with that effort. Then I hit the recycling center with glass, cardboard and papers.... I have been green for so long, I think I might not only be the one masterpiece I was designed to be but also a frog in training....
and for gramps: Travel Agent
A travel agent looked up from his desk and saw an older lady and an older gentleman peering into the shop window, where there were posters of glamorous destinations around the world. The agent had had a good week, and the dejected couple looking in the window gave him a rare feeling of generosity.
He called them into his shop. "I know that on your pension you could never hope to have a holiday, so I am sending you to a fabulous resort at my expense, and I won't take no for an answer." He took them inside and asked his secretary to write two flight tickets and book a room in a five-star hotel.
The older lady and gentleman, as could be expected, gladly accepted and were off! About a month later, the little lady came in to the travel agency. "And how did you like your holiday?" the agent asked eagerly.
"The flight was exciting, and the room was lovely," she said. "I've come to thank you. But, one thing puzzled me. Who was that old guy I had to share the room with?"
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