Nothing can compare to the adrenaline rush of performing in front of a packed house. The bright stage lights illuminated the twinkle in my eyes, as I pranced about a wooden stage in front of a captivated audience. Portraying a character brought to life from the pages of a storybook, I was transformed to an imaginary world, focused on telling a story. The adored young heroine I portrayed could not see her beauty - for from the outside, she was dull and frumpy. In fact, if you saw her, you'd quickly glance away nor give her the time of day. Oh, but her heart! It was golden.
A rags to riches story, my homely costume was laid aside, as the last scene in the play, the protagonist entered in a beautiful ball gown. This was who she was - a charming young girl with a beautiful soul. Her beauty finally radiated -- but it was only discovered once you looked beyond her disheveled features. The playwright let this tattered young girl end the show with her true beauty finally revealed - her appearance now a mirrored version of her heart.
Her true beauty was finally revealed - her appearance now a mirrored version of her heart.
The show ended. Bows were taken, flowers were collected. The curtain closed, and I made my way out to the lobby to greet the guests of the theater that evening. I smiled as an older lady caught my eye. Her wrinkled hands and white hair replaced her once youthful appearance, but I could tell that sparkle in her eye was true joy. Although a stranger, I knew from only two seconds of being in her presence that there was something unique about her. She grabbed my hand and leaned to whisper into my ear. I wanted you to know, she said. You are beautiful.
The words echoed in my head, instantly triggering my heart. I felt the tears weld up in my eyes.
You see, I didn't feel very beautiful. That character I had just left back on the stage didn't exist. It wasn't a true story, but I was realizing part of this girl I was playing was me. The insecurities she faced of questioning her beauty - wondering if the world could see past her skin - were actual dilemmas. If I were honest with myself, that character was inherently real. It was me. Plagued with worldly versions of defining beauty on a daily basis, I find that it is easy to get entangled with wrong truths about who you are.
But you know what? You are beautiful.
YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL BECAUSE GOD IS IN YOU.
Let those words sink in and soothe your soul. The world may look at your outward appearance, but God looks at the heart. To this day, I believe that old soul was sent to deliver a specific message to me that night. Something - or perhaps Someone - prompted her to affirm me that evening. To literally speak truth over my life. To remind me who I was. Even more importantly, she reminded me of Who was inside me - that beauty could not be defined by good skin, pretty clothes, or a perfect figure.
Perhaps you need that reminder too. Just like that imaginary character portrayed on a stage in a small theater in a small town in Ohio, one day, your true beauty will be revealed. You'll trade in those worldly rags for a radiant appearance that mirrors your God-breathed soul. Some may be wise enough to see that beauty and a genuine heart here on this earth, some may not. You can choose to embrace what really makes you beautiful: your Creator inside you.
...and it's unlike any beauty you've ever seen. You are beautiful because God is in you.
