Beauty and Grace
What does grace have to do with beauty?
I haven't posted about beauty in quite a few months and believe it or not, it's not because I'm avoiding the topic. A woman I love and respect told me to follow God's lead and only post when he leads me to write about it. God's time isn't our time and 365 days doesn't necessarily mean consecutive.
When I was 18 years old I was friends with this really inspiring and down right cool freelance writer. He told me that there are times just for living, times just for writing and times for balance. These past few months were spent living. God taught me many lessons and spoke to me a lot during this time. Although, at some points I didn't recognize it. That's when speaking with my sisters in Christ helped me recognize those moments.
These past few days I knew I would be soon writing about beauty again. This morning I finally got the nudge. Grace.
God has been teaching me soooooo much about grace these past few years and it takes me quite a while to let it seep in, marinate and permeate into each one of my cells before I fully get it. Which, of course I'm not fully there yet.
What is grace?
In the simplest form it is the unconditional love God has for us even though we are undeserving. Many would say it is the core of the bible, the most important part of God's message to us. I've been learning that in order to accept grace, we need to extend grace. I thought I was but God has been gently showing me all the ways that I in fact have not been. As I work on these areas of showing grace, and not focusing so much on myself, I am able to give myself grace as well. I am able to see that everyone, yes EVERYONE, is beautiful. So why should I be the exception?
I'm still struggling with the mirror and pictures of me here and there, but slowly it's not effecting me as much. I'm not as sensitive about my perceived deformities and flaws. They truly are unimportant. They are not in agreement with the word of God, so where did they come from? I need to stand firmer on the word of God and be better prepared to recognize and reject the lies that come at me.
Simultaneously, I need to give myself the grace to grow. The grace to make mistakes. The grace to just seep up his love and extend out that same grace to those around me.
I haven't posted about beauty in quite a few months and believe it or not, it's not because I'm avoiding the topic. A woman I love and respect told me to follow God's lead and only post when he leads me to write about it. God's time isn't our time and 365 days doesn't necessarily mean consecutive.
When I was 18 years old I was friends with this really inspiring and down right cool freelance writer. He told me that there are times just for living, times just for writing and times for balance. These past few months were spent living. God taught me many lessons and spoke to me a lot during this time. Although, at some points I didn't recognize it. That's when speaking with my sisters in Christ helped me recognize those moments.
These past few days I knew I would be soon writing about beauty again. This morning I finally got the nudge. Grace.
God has been teaching me soooooo much about grace these past few years and it takes me quite a while to let it seep in, marinate and permeate into each one of my cells before I fully get it. Which, of course I'm not fully there yet.
What is grace?
In the simplest form it is the unconditional love God has for us even though we are undeserving. Many would say it is the core of the bible, the most important part of God's message to us. I've been learning that in order to accept grace, we need to extend grace. I thought I was but God has been gently showing me all the ways that I in fact have not been. As I work on these areas of showing grace, and not focusing so much on myself, I am able to give myself grace as well. I am able to see that everyone, yes EVERYONE, is beautiful. So why should I be the exception?
I'm still struggling with the mirror and pictures of me here and there, but slowly it's not effecting me as much. I'm not as sensitive about my perceived deformities and flaws. They truly are unimportant. They are not in agreement with the word of God, so where did they come from? I need to stand firmer on the word of God and be better prepared to recognize and reject the lies that come at me.
Simultaneously, I need to give myself the grace to grow. The grace to make mistakes. The grace to just seep up his love and extend out that same grace to those around me.
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