Gia walked out her closet wearing the third outfit of the day. "Mama, do I look boootiful?" she asked with wide eyes. I smile and kneel down, smooshing her little face with tired and world-weary hands. "Oh sweetie, I love that skirt. But you don't need new clothes to know that answer. You always look beautiful." With a slight roll of her eyes, I see she just wanted an appraisal of her clothing choices. I feel a tightness in my chest and whisper a desperate wordless prayer that she understands this. But then she looks me in the eyes, putting her two chubby hands over mine, and responds with truth and loveliness. "I know, mama. I am Gia. God made me. And He made me boootiful. I am His princess." Be still my heart. Girl-child is teaching this mama and I, again desperately, pray to understand this too.
1.What is true beauty to God?
God is the source of all beauty. All beautiful things are simply reflections of Him.
2. How does the worlds definition of beauty and God's definition of beauty differ?
The world tends to attribute beauty to that which is aesthetically pleasing. But how often do our definitions of what is visually appealing change? People are fickle. God is unchanging. True beauty is not in the eye of the beholder. Truly beautiful things are always beautiful. They may be difficult for us to recognize, because we are comprised. We are comprised by the fall and all beauty is but a shadow of what it would have been. But these shadows still give us a glimpse of Our Father.
3. As you've grown (both physically and spiritually) what have you learned about true beauty, and what advice would you give your younger self about it?
Over the years, I have learned to be more intentional about finding beauty. I try to make sure my lens is set to see beauty in goodness. These are the things that remind me of something bigger and stir something deeper. I would tell the younger me that Beauty found in Hope brings Joy.
4. Who has been the best example in your life of what a woman of true beauty really is?
The best and most lasting examples of true beauty are women who have embraced how God has made them and the life He has given them. They're the ones who bring their brokenness to Jesus. They are more concerned with loving their King and His people.
5. If there was one thing you could teach your daughter/sister/friend about being beautiful in Gods eyes, what would it be?
We have been fearfully and wonderfully made in the image of a God who is beauty!!!
6. What are your goals for "...the hidden person of your heart..." to become even more beautiful and more pleasing in the sight of the Lord?
I keep coming back to the part in 1 Peter 3:4 where we are told not to be concerned with the outward appearance, but instead "the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight." I don't think I would describe myself as gentle and quiet. Yikes! So, yeah, I think I have some growing and stretching ahead of me.
