"Beauty Secrets"
Hey, everybody! You certainly know how to make an old lady feel good again - I appreciate all of your comments about my picture. But I was ESPECIALLY touched by what was said about having "inner beauty", and it caused me to pause and ponder about what that phrase truly means.
Physical beauty is fleeting and is something over which we DON'T have control. As we age, the wrinkles begin to make their tracks, making a puzzle out of a once-smooth surface. Joints ache. The hair thins out and turns grey (by the way - my "true" hair color is brown, not the red which is apparent on my picture). We sag as gravity pulls us southward. Our memories aren't as sharp. Our hearing and eyes aren't as sharp as they used to be.
Inner beauty, however, can last forever and IS something over which we have control. It is something we all possess if we have invited Jesus into our lives. Our words and actions reflect consistency because we are doing God's will. During those times where we got "off track" and don't follow God, the inner beauty is somehow diminished. We experience angst and we feel conflicted. The inner turmoil, interestingly enough, often does show up on our faces - and we look pensive and worried, or aloof and unapproachable.
As I age, I must admit that I look around to see how I compare to other people who are about my age (now, admit it, folks - you do the same, too!). If I am to be totally honest, I get a certain sense of satisfaction if I think I look "better" than some other woman who is in her early fifties. Conversely, I get kind of bummed out when I see somebody else (like Christie Brinkley), whose my age and looks 35! What I really need to be concentrating on, rather than my physical aging, is whether or not I am leading my life the way in which God is calling me to do - so that the inner beauty I am capable of possessing is evident to others. I'd like to think that my "beauty secret" is my strong faith and doing God's will - so that the serenity I feel within my soul is reflected to others in my demeanor. It's not an easy "beauty secret" to follow all the time - doing God's will is not as easy as washing with Oil of Olay on a daily basis - but it IS the key to possessing that "inner beauty" which can last for eternity.
By the way - as you know, we've had a rough couple of weeks in this household, but things seem to be calming down. I'll post more about that in a day or two - but thanks for your prayers and support during this time!
10 Comments:
You are a beauty, in and out!
Val, you are so right! I wonder what we truly look like to God. Do unbelievers have this ugliness that is unbearable? Do believers have not only a fragrance of sweetness but a beauty that passes understanding? You are as echotig says... a beauty inside and out!
How nicely stated regarding the aging and beauty things!!....This is also a Biblical principle that I have been talking to my girls (now just 17 and 18)often about since the world/TV/magazines/our present society have "outward beauty obsession." The thing is I do have attractive teens, but I want them to always know what is "attractive" (sweet and lovely) to God....as in----not necessary to spend inordinate amounts of time on make-up, hair, clothes, etc. but to know the REAL you that God sees and knows before any person does. This is still a tough one in today's culture. (I do let them go crazy on the outer beauty thing for senior prom though. Thank you Lord that only happens once, maybe twice if invited as junior!!) Thanks for your beauty and wisdom, Val......Jodi in Akron, OH
Ah, thank you for this ... it is so beautiful to this 52 year old woman! God bless!
Valerie! I can see you! Nice picture. And you know what? You look just like I thought you'd look - marvelously beautiful.
Nice to have a face with name now.
Valerie, those with inner beauty are blessed, and those with both inner and outer beauty, such as you, are doubly blessed. Your comments about what changes come with age are right spot on. I know - been there, done that, and more.
Well said.
I compare too, I addmit.
great wisdom here! You are beautiful!
Whenever I compare, I always do so negatively with regard to myself! It's hard to think positively about oneself when the concept is positively alien!
God Bless.
Hi Echo - Thanks, my friend.
Gina - I wonder about what we look like to God, too?! But then, we are all made in His likeness, whether we are believers or not.
Jodi - I wish you had a blog of your own - have you ever considered it? I have two teenage girls, too, so I've had the same conversations with them as you've had with yours. It's really tough (especially with the clothes styles of today). Thanks for stopping by, and your compliment!
Suzanne - Thanks for stopping by my blog. I'll visit your place soon.
Hector - I like that phrase, and will have to remember it.
Hi Carol!!! Yup - it's me. Thanks for coming by - and for your sweet words! I hope college is going well for you.
Barbara - I "know" because I do the same exact thing! I'd be all gray now if I didn't color my hair!
Paula - I'm working on that gentle and quiet spirit, too - it's a tough one for me right now! I love your new pic at your site - talk about a "glow" - you absolutely shine!
Hi Don - Welcome to my blog, and thank you so much for your kind comments. Aging is not for "wimps"!
Sarah - Thank you for saying that you compare, too - I was beginning to think I was the only one!!!
Thank you, Tyra. I absolutely hate getting my picture taken, too - but thank goodness, my kids insist that I participate in that activity. I don't have many picture of my mom, either - so I want my kids to have reminders of me - blemishes and chubbiness included!
Mrs. D - Thanks. I love what you've been writing about lately, too.
Ukok - We'll have to break you of that negative habit, then, won't we? Thanks for stopping by.
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