Love Sees Beautiful

I was having a bad hair day.  Plain and simple.  I stood in front of the mirror trying to tame the blonde mop sitting on top of my head, which clearly had a mind of its own that morning.  With an exasperated sigh I dropped my brush onto the counter, turned to my daughter Kate, and asked, "How does my hair look?"
With the sweetest smile she answered softly, "It's beautiful..."
My heart melted.  "Thank you, Kate, that is just..."
Then before I could say another word, she added, "...even when it's ugly."

"Beautiful even when it's ugly."  Hmmm.  I wasn't quite sure how to take that one.  It was an honest answer:  sincerely, lovingly, and brutally honest.

At first, my feelings were hurt because I couldn't get past the word "ugly."  But looking down at the face of my four year old it was obvious that she didn't intend to be mean.  Her big blue eyes were looking up at me with admiration and love.  I turned to face our reflections in the mirror, standing side by side in the bathroom.  Me, in my old worn out bathrobe, sleepy-up-all-night eyes, a crazy mess of hair; and next to me, my daughter, who in spite of it all, thinks I'm beautiful.

I have to remind myself of this from time to time, especially on those days when I'm not my best self:  days when I feel way, way less than beautiful---when I might not be very patient, I might lose my temper, I might let the kids watch movies all day, I might bring home Subway for lunch and order pizza for dinner.

There will be days when I might not be the best mother I can be, or the best wife I can be, or even the best Christian I can be; and I have to tell myself, when I have those "ugly" days, that I am still beautiful in the eyes of my children...my husband...and my Heavenly Father.  Then I have to forgive myself and go back to being awesome (or really trying to be awesome) the next day.

Love sees beauty in disheveled hair, in tears, in mistakes, in burned broccoli, in a few stubborn pounds, in every display of inevitable imperfection.  God demonstrated that kind of love to the greatest degree when He sent His Son to die for us, while we were still sinners (Romans 5:8).  How comforting and humbling it is to know that God looks past the ugly and sees something beautiful and someone worth saving when He looks at me!

Surrounded by Promises

Scrolling through Facebook the other day, I came across this picture taken by a college friend of mine.  With the rainbow stretched across the sky behind her and the brilliant sun shining through the clouds ahead, she captured something truly beautiful.  I looked at the picture for awhile and allowed myself to be reminded of God's promises.  We are surrounded by them.  They shine from behind us, encouraging us to press on and giving us hope for the future.  They also shine ahead of us, guiding us along the narrow way and beckoning us to our home in Heaven.

God's promises give me comfort:
He will supply all of my needs.  (Philippians 4:19)
He will bear my burdens.  (Psalm 68:19)
He will forgive me.  (1 John 1:9)
He will answer my prayers.  (1 John 5:14-15)

God's promises give me courage:
He will never leave me.  (Hebrews 13:6)
He will give me strength.  (Isaiah 40:29-31)
He will not allow me to be tempted with more than I can bear.  (1 Corinthians 10:13)

God's promises give me confidence:
He will make all things work together for good.  (Romans 8:28)
He will save me by His grace, through faith.  (Ephesians 2:8)
He will give me eternal life.  (1 John 4:5)

God's promises are abounding!  These are just a few of the many we find in the Bible.

When I think of God's promises, I think of the words written in Joshua 22:45, "Not one of the good promises which the Lord had made to the house of Israel failed; all came to pass."

Everything God promised to His people was fulfilled.

I also like to remember Numbers 23:19, "God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should repent; has He said, and will He not do it?  Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good."  

God will do what He says He will do.

The road we travel through life will be difficult because of the persecution that comes with being a follower of Christ.  In fact, that's another promise (2 Timothy 3:12).  But, because of the courage, confidence, and comfort that come from God...which He has promised to give me...I will prevail!  I will stay on the course that will lead me Home, with a rainbow shining behind me and the sun shining ahead.