Currently, I'm in the midst of a new study with my small group on a book titled, Captivating: Unveiling the Mystery of a Woman's Soul, by John and Stasi Eldredge. If you've never heard of the Eldredges, I recommend you checkout their ministry, Ransomed Heart Ministries. This is my third Eldredge book endeavor and I have to say each one speaks to my heart about the true nature of God; and each read has been eye opening and life changing for me. John and Stasi simply bring to light the messages God's Word tells us about God's own nature, and how vital and precious our hearts are to God. They also have inspiring blogs to follow if a book isn't your style (John and Stasi's blogs).
My small group, which consists of 5 other amazing women, meets once a week to reflect on our study, to fellowship and encourage one another, and to hold each other accountable in our walk with God. Last Tuesday night we were discussing the subject of beauty, which is one of the primary points in Captivating. However, the way Captivating describes beauty and the emphasis of beauty's role in our world and our lives, is very different than any message the world has given us. Beauty is described as the essence of God. Beauty serves as a reflection of God's own image. No mind can fathom the beauty we'll behold when we see our Lord face-to-face, when we enter His kingdom we will behold a beauty we could never have dreamt. So how does beauty play a role in our lives today, and more specifically, how important is beauty as an attribute of God, and women?
To quote Stasi, "Beauty is the essence of femininity. Not the only essence, but very much core to who and what a woman is. It was given to every woman at her birth, in her creation as an image-bearer of a captivating God. Now, we know that life has assaulted your heart and your beauty, and because of that, most women doubt very much that they are beautiful. ...let your heart rest for now in this: God is beautiful. He has given you his very image, deep in your soul. That means you have a beauty to unveil, too."
It's important that I stop here to emphasize that she is not talking about a beauty you have to go conjure up at a salon, the gym or a plastic surgeon's office. It's much deeper than that. The chapter and the book has much more to say about this, but that night I was reminded how God gives us beauty to speak to us about his nature, and sometimes, to comfort us when nothing else will. I suddenly recalled that in a deep time of sorrow, as I sat in my Grandmother's house with my family gathered round, grieving as she lay in a bed drawing some of her last breaths, Nolan took more than 10 steps across the room in front of our family. I gasped. He was 15 1/2 months old. I had been waiting anxiously for this moment, wondering when this little man would finally start walking. Little did I know God had something special in mind for something so simple. It was a moment of joy, emotion and a reminder of the precious gift of new life. It was beautiful, and it was comforting.
Last Wednesday Eddie and I had the opportunity to dine at romantic restaurant as we celebrated 9 years of marriage. While we sat at our candle lit table, discussing and creating a list of baby names to take to the hospital, I noticed that the fresh flowers that adorned our table were no ordinary flowers. In the little glass vase were an assortment of flowers, but the most noticeable were the Spider mums. I don't believe it was coincidence, but a little gift from my Father to remind me of his love and beauty. Spider mums were used by the dozens in our wedding decorations:)
I hope this rambling inspires someone to reflect on how God speaks to us through beauty, and realizes it is a very important essence of who God is. Don't believe me? Just look outside on a starry night, or gaze in awe at something amazing like a newborn baby, a perfect sunset, or a captivating little girl who knows she has a beauty of her own to be delighted in.
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