She was beautiful,
Long red hair that twisted into curls at the end with a voice that was always soft, controlled and sweet,
She was fun and patient and kind - Mrs. Blackwell
My Sixth grade teacher
And as her student you knew she cared about you
Not just about papers, Greek God projects, and Monster-Mash performances, but about you
She found the beauty in us - awkward, prepubescent, obnoxious, self-absorbed sixth graders
And I'll never forget these words
"You are such a beautiful girl, inside and out"
She was an encourager
What I record next
I blame on insecurity, pre-teen hormones
Or just an attack of darkness I wasn't readily prepared to fight
She said I was beautiful on the inside and out
But my mind twisted and morphed that into
I'm Ugly
Because that's what people say to people who aren't very pretty
- Right?
I was shallow
And insecure
Lost
Listening but not hearing
Looking but not seeing
And I would waste years in that place of void
Longing to be pretty and feel beautiful
Confusing the symmetry of a face and look of a body frame for the honest radiance of the soul
And God's artful design of me
Don't we all have something ugly we're hiding and fighting?
An external blemish, sag, bulge?
An internal battle of imperfection or comparison issue?
A confused understanding of how God pieced us together?
You are A weaving of emotions, talents, weaknesses and strengths that are uniquely yours knit together by the master weaver of the universe
An eclectic collection of colors, and brush strokes painted by the creators hand
One of a kind
The only you
And me, the only me
So why is it we struggle to see ourselves?
To feel talented, worthy, beautiful...more?
We forget
We're Gods masterpiece IN Christ Jesus
And some of us need to move INTO Christ
For the masterpiece your life is intended to be can only be fully realized when lived within the grace of a Savior
Surrender
Surrender our idea of beauty, to the revelation of who He made us to be
Accept He is the artist and master weaver
And He calls us His greatest work of art
Ephesians 2:10
Absolute beauty is found in surrender
Letting the mirror reflect the heart of our Creator
And accepting our self, design and worth in HIM
We all need a Mrs. Blackwell to encourage us
Because, on some level, we're all fighting against ugly
Even better than a Mrs. Blackwell
Is a God who claims you
And calls you beautiful
So
If you don't feel beautiful today - YOU ARE
Don't be like me listening but not hearing
HEAR
Believe
Surrender
Accept
Live
Because You're Beautiful
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