Last Friday I was walking out of the library on campus and I walked past a guy and 5 or 6 of his friends. As our paths crossed I smiled at them. I always find it endearing when a stranger smiles at me, after all you never know what kind of battles they might be facing. I could have been the first person to smile at him all day, and those kinds of moments make people feel really special. This moment, however, was far from special. He took one look at me, turned to his friends, and said loud enough for everyone around us to hear, "The girl in the orange sweater is the ugliest girl I have ever seen!!". I looked around, in hopes that everyone else around was wearing an orange sweater that morning. Sadly, it was me. The comment resonated deep within me, for what seemed like an hour, "the ugliest girl EVER". It didn't so much hurt my feelings, as it shocked me. Now, I would be completely lying if I said it didn't hurt me a little, and if I told you I didn't run to my car and cried about it, but I was shocked to find that people in their twenties, in college, still acted that way towards perfect strangers. At that moment, nothing I could say would be witty enough and nothing I could have done would have taken back that comment. It ate me up all day, and I really just beat myself up about it. Maybe if I had gotten up earlier to put on make up, or maybe if I were wearing something different, or didn't skip that one work out last week, maybe, just maybe, he wouldn't have said such a horrible thing to me. Maybe he would have thought I was beautiful. I felt like I was in middle school all over again. But then God came to the rescue. He reminded me that HE made me beautiful. To Him, I was beautiful. To Him, I don't need to be any different. And just because He's God, and He can, He romanced me back to a state of awe. It didn't matter what that random guy said to me, or how mad it made me, HE has made me better than that.
The King is enthralled by your beauty
~Psalm 45:11
I think, in our world today, we want so badly to be seen as beautiful and something that is worthy of someone's attention. Lately, I've been finding myself praying that God would give me His eyes to see something that I would normally see as flawed. A person I don't get along with, or while I'm shopping for clothes, that I wouldn't be so hard on myself as most women are. My prayer is that He would let me see the beauty that He sees, that I would find an ugly and overcast day to be something so delicately planned.
I got really upset that day, but God just reminded me of the beauty He sees in me, and all of the sudden that silly little comment meant nothing to me. That guy can say it all he wants. God has made me greater!
I just thought I'd share! I challenge you to ask for His eyes today, and maybe the girl in the cubicle next to you that sings Motown Hits between calls won't seem so bad. I think it's a great reminder that He loves her just as much as He loves you!
I hope this post finds you having a great week! You're beautiful and worthy of so much love! I love you all more than you know!
Forever His,
EmilyJo
