Monday, February 7, 2011

project31 - day 1

1:: What does beauty mean to you?

I find this ironic that it is the first post to be written on, given that this exact "idea" of beauty is something that I have struggled to define for most of my life.

Being someone who has lacked confidence in myself since a very young age, I feel as though I had fallen deep into the pit of society's ideals of what "beauty" is by way a specific size, colour, face, and wardrobe.

All of that was, of course, all the opposite of what I learned growing up in the church and I never had parents who judged me by appearance. I also had very, VERY accepting friends. SO, this skewed idea of what "beauty" is most certainly wasn't something I was raised to believe.

If you listen to your Mum, "beauty is only skin deep," but as a 16 year old...skin deep is all that matters.

The chapter of Proverbs that this entire challenge is based on says this in verse 30:

Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting;
but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.

So, even that verse would suggest that beauty is something to behold, or gaze upon.

But to me...something that I have come to learn in my 30 years on this earth - although it has taken a long time, and I am only really learning this in the last 10 years or so - is that beauty, for me, is more of a character trait rather than a specific "look."

Does that even make sense?? I mean, someone can "look beautiful," but then they open their mouth and speak rudely...not so "beautiful" anymore are they?!

So...beauty to me is someone who is genuine, funny, kind, displays integrity...someone who holds tight to their convictions no matter the "weather" of what's popular at the moment...someone who will speak the truth in love...

all things I try to be...and hope one day to possess.


or beauty is to gaze upon the face of an innocent child, all their trust and genuine love, confidence in their abilities because of their confidence in your love for them, and be humbled by your role in their life as "Mummy"...the one to whom they will look to for unconditional acceptance and even, one day, look to and ask "Mummy, am I beautiful?"...and my heart will break at their beauty and sincere concern over that arbitrary word...but I know the answer!


"A woman who fears the Lord is to be praised"...oh how I pray that becomes my character along this journey called life.

...be blessed!

3 comments:

kelly ens said...

It absolutely makes sense and I think you're totally right. A person can lose their physical attractiveness the moment they open their mouths, but a more 'average' looking person can be incredibly attractive to us as their character is revealed to us.

Melissa said...

So well written! Love it! I'm so glad you are doing this with me. :)

M-Squared Family said...

Such a lovely post!