Scripture: Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes. Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight. 1 Peter 2:3-4I'm reading an interesting book called, “Finding Your Own North Star” by Martha Beck. It was purchased for me by a friend who recommended it to me. While there are certain aspects of the book I cannot agree with, it has made me dig deep and really think about what I believe and who I am at my core. I read this most interesting few paragraphs which made me really think hard about the definition of 'beauty'.
Here is the excerpt for your own consideration...
"When the curtain of social judgment pulls back, it reveals the most amazing beauty.
I first became aware of this phenomenon when I was a college art student. Every few weeks, I'd join this or that group of artists, and we'd all pitch in a few bucks to rent a studio and hire a model. Most of the people we got to pose were college students with bodies that matched the social ideal--slender, fit, perfectly proportioned. (After all, who else would risk standing naked in a roomful of strangers?) And then, one day, we got somebody really different.
She looked well over sixty, with a deeply lined face and a body that was probably fifty pounds heavier than her doctors would have liked. She'd had a few doctors, too, judging from her scars. Shining purple welts from a cesarean section and knee surgery cut deep rifts in the rippled adipose fat of her lower body. Another scar ran across one side of her chest, where her left breast had once been. When she first limped onto the dais to pose, I felt so much pity and unease that I physically flinched. But we were there to draw her, so I picked up a pencil.
The thing about drawing is that you can't do it well with your social self. You have to bring out your essential self, which doesn't know anything about social stereotypes. And so, as I began to draw this maimed old woman, the most amazing thing happened. Within five minutes she became a person of absolutely wondrous beauty. She didn't look like a supermodel; she didn't have to. Her body, in and of itself, was as beautiful as a piece of polished driftwood, or a wind-carved rock, or a waterfall. My essential self didn't know that I was supposed to compare the woman to various movie stars, any more than it would have evaluated the Andes Mountains by judging how much they looked like an Iowa cornfield. It simply saw her as she was: an exquisite sculptural form.
When this perceptual shift happened, I was so surprised that I stopped drawing and simply stared. The model seemed to notice this and without turning her head, looked straight into my eyes. Then I saw the ghost of a smile flicker across her face, and I realized something else: She knew she was beautiful. She knew it, and she knew that I'd seen it."
Ok...this made me think of all the times I've found rocks and old driftwood and rusty things with holes in them and brought them home as my treasures, because they are treasures to me! Why do we hate our own flaws and faults? Why can't we see them as unique markings that set us apart and make us more valuable to someone who values true beauty? I love driftwood. I love rusty things with holes and sometimes, I even bring home things that are just a piece of it's former self. It's artistic to me!
I wrote this as a reminder to us all....Don't overlook the beauty all around you!...or even in yourself...
Dian Burch
Loudon, TN
Prayer: Almighty give me eyes to always see things and people the way you see them. Amen.
Prayer Tip: Take a time for silent meditation during your prayer time. You will not regret the silence.
Book Reference: “Finding Your Own North Star” by Martha Beck
