Merry Beauty!

Editor:
Christmas is just around the corner. It is indeed one of the most beautifully-celebrated occasions in the Philippines. In fact, we can start seeing houses decorated with colorful lights and expensive lanterns. Yet, before we proceed with our extravagant celebration, cheers to this special feature which reminds us that we are all beautiful. Have a simple yuletide start while at your best health –inside out.

More than the physical scars that my chicken pox left me just recently, it wounded me emotionally. I am very much familiar that I shouldn’t base my significance on how people see me but how God does.
I am beautiful because God created me beautifully.

This truth has never been so real in me until this illness scarred me physically. No matter how I affirm myself of this truth, I just couldn’t find even an inch of beauty in me every time I look at the mirror.
This is where my insecurity creeps in. I am fully aware that I am beautiful in God’s sight. But lesser did I know that this truth is just on a cognitive level.

Deep within my heart, I have been anchoring my significance especially my appearance in the standards of this world. Not to brag, but all my life, I believe that I am beautiful because people around me say so.
The world says through social media that you are beautiful when you are white, flawless, tall, smart, and perfectly shaped. When you got the appeal and personality, you fit in. This illness, more than an assault to my health, is an assault to my identity in Christ. It’s an assault to beauty, testing where I am anchoring significance and my security.

I didn’t question God why He brought this to me. But part of me felt sorry for this magnified my insecurity. I feel so ‘unbeautiful” and insecure. But the Bible says “For all things work together for good for those who love God and called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28).
Unpleasant circumstances come to us because God wants to accomplish something. He might want to shape our character to become more like Christ for His greater glory. In my case, God wanted to shift my perspective of beauty, from world’s view to His’ view.

I felt so ‘unbeautiful’ because I was looking at the wrong mirror, world’s mirror instead of God’s.
Psalms 23:1 says, “The Lord is our shepherd…”

As shepherd, he won’t let his sheep fall astray forever, he will rescue them. I admit I have been under the spell of deception for so long, convinced of the parameter of beauty that the world sets for me.
God is gracious. He rescued me and brought me to repentance- a change of attitude. I have sinned. I was wrong. So I confessed. Good thing He is merciful. His forgiveness is always sufficient in us as he promised to forgive those who confess (1 John 1: 9).

This whole 20-day isolation due to sickness is a 180 degree-turn of perspective. Now every time I look at the mirror seeing those scars on my face, I place my faith on His word in Psalms 139:14, “I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that fully well.” God created me wonderfully. I am beautiful in His sight. The world has no hold in my identity.
Lastly, let me leave this statement. His grace brought me to repentance. His forgiveness is sufficient in me. His love has been seeing me through. I am Jill. I am loved by our Creator. I believe that I am beautiful, not as the world sees me but how the Lord God sees me.