Truth - I don't feel beautiful everyday. Despite being told so by my husband. Despite hearing it from sisterfriends. Despite people saying how beautiful my daughters are and how much they look like me.
Some days it does not ring true in my soul. Some days the reflection staring back at me from the mirror or glass-front building is a woman with miles and miles to go. It's not that I feel like I lack any particular attractiveness. I just don't feel beautiful.
Attractiveness is external. Beauty is deep. It's from the core of your being.
When someone doesn't feel beautiful (when I don't feel beautiful) it's difficult to act beautiful. It's difficult to smile or shine or be polite or let things roll off my back. It's difficult to breathe.
In order to be consistently beautiful, a person must see God in themself. Admittedly, there are many days when I look at the reflection and don't see God looking back at all. There's only me. There are many days when I have not wanted to see God looking back, for fear that He may be disappointed in what He sees.
Have you ever stood in a mirror and used the reflection to see someone behind you? Have you noticed that your reflected self can sometimes see beyond what you see yourself? At the very least, it has a different vantage point and can sometimes notice things you may have missed - like the person making rabbit ears behind your head or someone sneaking up to hug you. Suppose - the next time you're in a mirror - that the reflected self is the face of God. What would your reflection see in you? What would it see around you? Or behind you? Would your reflected self be pleased? Would your reflection be beautiful?
"I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, And that my soul knows very well."
My soul may know very well, but oftentimes, my flesh forgets. And when my flesh forgets - I will thank you to remind me. Tap me on my shoulder and remind me that I am beautiful because I look like my Father. And I will do the same for you.
Saturday, November 13, 2010
Thursday, November 11, 2010
UFO Abduction
In our universe as we travel around the Son, occassionally we are visited by UFOs. While I do believe that there is likely life on other planet (vanity tells us otherwise), the UFOs to which I refer are not Unidentified Flying Objects. The UFOs that I see regularly and clearly are Unwanted Faith Obstacles.
They light up the sky. They distract us from what we know to be reality. They cause us to doubt our place on the planet.
These UFOs are present and lurking just behind every cloud. In places where we should see silver linings, instead we see UFOs. Perhaps, like me, you have had days where the whole world seems to be in order that are followed by days that seem to come for the sole purpose to steal the joy of the day before. This is a UFO - Unwanted Faith Obstacle - abduction.
We have a choice. We can go willingly with the adbuctor, participate in the experiment and be returned to our families a shell of who we were. We could take the "Close Encounters" approach and fight off the aliens. Either way - it seems there will be some battle wounds. It's hard to come in contact (brief or extended) with a UFO and walk away unchanged.
Perhaps we should take the astronomer's approach and watch for them, study them & learn how to interact with them in a peaceful way. We should remember our last encounter and figure out what we could have done differently in the last battle.
If they land successfully on your planet, they will call their friends. What happens next is up to us. We can try to take them on by ourselves, or we can take them to our leader.
As for me, I'm in Will Smith "Independence Day" mode. I'm taking the fight to them. The UFOs that come for me, will not find the planet friendly. They can come. I know they will. They always do. But when they come, they should know that I am prepared to fight and I am backed by the Most High God.
They light up the sky. They distract us from what we know to be reality. They cause us to doubt our place on the planet.
These UFOs are present and lurking just behind every cloud. In places where we should see silver linings, instead we see UFOs. Perhaps, like me, you have had days where the whole world seems to be in order that are followed by days that seem to come for the sole purpose to steal the joy of the day before. This is a UFO - Unwanted Faith Obstacle - abduction.
We have a choice. We can go willingly with the adbuctor, participate in the experiment and be returned to our families a shell of who we were. We could take the "Close Encounters" approach and fight off the aliens. Either way - it seems there will be some battle wounds. It's hard to come in contact (brief or extended) with a UFO and walk away unchanged.
Perhaps we should take the astronomer's approach and watch for them, study them & learn how to interact with them in a peaceful way. We should remember our last encounter and figure out what we could have done differently in the last battle.
If they land successfully on your planet, they will call their friends. What happens next is up to us. We can try to take them on by ourselves, or we can take them to our leader.
As for me, I'm in Will Smith "Independence Day" mode. I'm taking the fight to them. The UFOs that come for me, will not find the planet friendly. They can come. I know they will. They always do. But when they come, they should know that I am prepared to fight and I am backed by the Most High God.
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