Beauty

Beauty is one of those hot-buttons for us women. We all want it! Why????? I read a possible reason in a book entitled, "Captivating" by Stasi Eldridge. Stasi's husband, John, as a counselor, noticed that every woman he counseled dealt with the same question of "Am I beautiful?" Noticing this and knowing God's word that says;

"God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and FEMALE he created them,"

he was given a revelation that women want to be beautiful because God himself wants us to notice His beauty. We, as women who are made in His image are given a part.of God- His desire to be beautiful. That idea really resonated with me because it's true- every woman that I know wants to be beautiful. I had an experience yesterday that confirmed this for me again, led me to fight for some truth and wrestle with God which in the end provided me with a very intimate moment with my God. Before I share that experience, I'd like to share some truths from God's word so you don't think I am completely crazy.

"I, the Lord, search the heart and examine the mind....." Jeremiah 17:10

LESSON LEARND/BELIEVED- God is aware at every second of the day what I am thinking about


"You know me, Oh Lord; you see me and test my thoughts about you." Jeremiah 12:3

LESSON LEARNED/BELIEVED- God knows me, sees me, and knows how I feel about Him.


"The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart." 1 Samuel 16:7

LESSON LEARNED/BELIEVED- God cares about and sees my heart.

"You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men's bones and everything unclean.In the same way on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness." Matthew 23: 27

LESSON LEARNED/BELIEVED- People have always cared about beauty, but focus on "outward" appearances. God sees and cares about our inside beauty.

"Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the lord is to be praised." Prov. 31: 30

LESSON LEARNED/BELIEVED- Outward beauty will not last. I better seek to be beautiful by fearing (respecting and loving) God.

"Your beauty should not come from outward adornment......Instead, 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. For this is the way the holy women of the past who put their hope in God used to make themselves BEAUTIFUL." 1 Peter 3:3-5

LESSON LEARNED/BELIEVED- Beauty of the spirt is unfading, God notices it and finds it to be of great worth!

"...God, for whom and through whom everything exists." Hebrews 2:10

LESSON LEARNED/BELIEVED- I exist for God and for a relationship with Him

"The Lord said, 'God out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.' Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a GENTLE WHISPER. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face......" 1 Kings 19:11-13

LESSON LEARNED/BELIEVED- God speaks to us in "gentle whispers"

"The Lord your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will REJOICE OVER YOU WITH SINGING." Zephaniah 3: 17

LESSON LEARNED/BELIEVED- God is with me. He seeks to quiet me with his love. He sings over me.


Okay, so now the story. As I was walking into the YMCA (is the song ringing through your ears? Go ahead and do the motions if you must) a friend of mine and I were having a light and fun conversation. She began talking about her gray hair and somehow the conversation landed on the fact that her husband just verbalized that he likes bikinis. This got my friend a bit fired up (she is Irish). As we were dropping our kids off in the Tot Spot, still talking (actually, I was just listening) others began to join the conversation. It all focused on "beauty" and that desire us women have and the frustration that comes from never being as beautiful as we want to be. My friend was mad that her husband liked bikinis because admittingly she felt like she could never be what he wanted her to be. So, I left the conversation pondering much in my heart. My thoughts turned more into a prayer that sounded like this;

"Oh Jesus, here we go with this "beauty" thing again. It runs sooooo deep in the heart of a woman. We are all going to get old. We cannot base our beauty on our bodies- such a temporary thing. If we do we will be depressed most of our lives. Oh God- that conversation would leave me so depressed if I did not know you. I am a much happier woman if I focus my attention on how beautiful you are and see my desire to be beautiful as really- your desire for me to notice your beauty. When it becomes all about me and my beauty my spirit is left wanting. But when I focus on you- my spirit soars. I believe your truth God----about how beauty is fleeting. A woman who fears the Lord is to be praised."

All of that went on inside my heart and mind from the walk from the Tot spot to the cardio area. Isn't that crazy how so much of what happens is really going on on the inside- the place where none of us can really see. So, I began singing a song with the words from that verse. After I sang it a few times (I actually was singing out loud, although I did keep the conversation between God and I quiet knowing I could be admitted to a Psych. ward for being crazy) I found the cry of my heart to be "Oh God- I want to be beautiful to you. I want to have a beauty that doesn't fade."

As I sat down on my first piece of exercise equipment, the song, "You are so beautiful to me" began playing. There I sat, listening to this song, after JUST having had this conversation with my Father in heaven SECONDS AGO telling him I desire to be beautifl to Him. Knowing all the verses I quoted above, that He is very involved in my life, knows my heart, sings over me and actually speaks to me on this earth through a gentle whisper, I sat on that machine crying (oh yes- once again) soaking in all the words believing that somehow (I have no idea how this all works) that song was dedicated to me from my Father. I was "quieted with His love." Whether it is ABSOLUTELY TRUE or not I will not know unitl I meet Him face to face- but for now my spirit believes it. It is scriptural. It was "perfect timing" (which is always His way), It brought me amazing blessing and gave me life (he is called a "life-giving spirit"), it was a gentle whisper of "I see you Kristy Joy Link and I know that you fear me." Hmmmmmmmmmmmm???????


May I encourage you today to seek to be beautiful by fearing Him and putting your hope in Him which is of great worth in His sight- everything else will leave you depressed and vain. May I encourage you today to seek to make the connections between your prayers and what is on your heart to what is happening around you. God says He is always at work seeking to reveal Himself to the people He loves so dearly. May you hear him sing over you. Blessings from Bombadil. May your soul be watered and may you water another soul. Kristy Joy Link