Finding Beauty

July 28, 2017

Finding Beauty

James 1:22-24

22 Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourself. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at their face in the mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like.

I recently shared a post called ‘From Victim to Valued.’ I guess you can see this as a continuation from that post, but the next step in that journey.

I know the choice of verse may be unconventional at first glance, but I think anyone reading this will catch on rather quickly to what I am about to share. As I was preparing for my day I was listening to a new song from Planetshakers called “You Call Me Beautiful.” It is typically one of those songs I would bi-pass simply because it is a little slower, but honestly it was the inspiration of this post and why I chose the verse I did.

In the movie ‘The Help,’ (one of my favorite movies) one of the most enduring and important lines happens to be made by Kathryn Stockett to the little girl she cares for. She says “You is smart, You is kind, You is important.” Let that sink in a bit.

The truth is each of us; man, woman and child desire to hear that we are valued and beautiful. So often we lose that value due to a trauma, death or rejection, but we desire to hear “You are valued, you are beautiful.” It is in our brokenness though we replay those negative words that have hurt us like the rewinding of a movie. We desire to cut the film and splice it back together.

It reminds me of the days of the cassette tape. Anyone who had a cassette player would tell you that there were times that the player would suck up the cassette and tangle it. I remember many times taking them apart and fixing them. The problem was if a tape was chewed up the tape would wrinkle and garble while other times they would break. It was easy to fix as you could cut out the bad and the magic of Scotch Tape could put them back together. There was one problem though. Fixing the tape and splicing it back together you would get a skip or dead space. Something was missing.

Our brokenness is much the same as the cassette tape. We find parts of our lives chewed up and maybe even broken and try to fix it with the Scotch Tape of life; things, people, friends, relationships or even addictions. We go on knowing the brokenness and even realize that something is missing desiring for that remastering of what once was or what is desired. We don’t realize that there was a CD that was made and in that CD it is absent of the ‘gap.’

Wow, I did not think that this journal would even hit home with me as it does!

The reality is life is no different than the mirror James talks about. We hear the word but forget the word. We look in the mirror and forget how God made us always looking for validation in our brokenness. We look to another to hear “You is smart, You is kind, You is important,” but forget what God has said about you…..

“God spoke: ‘Let us make human beings in our image, make them reflecting our nature… God created human beings; He created them godlike, reflecting God’s nature. He created them male and female… He looked over everything He had made; it was so good, so very good!” – Genesis 1:26, 27, 31

But you know that is not all He has said….

“I’ll show up and take care of you as I promised and bring you back home. I know what I am doing. I have it all planned out- plans to take care of you, not to abandon you, rather to give you the future you hope for.” – Jeremiah 29:11

“He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart, yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.” – Ecclesiastes 3:11

“She is more precious that rubies; nothing you desire can compare to her. Long life is in her right hand; in her left hand are riches and honor. Her ways are pleasant ways, and her paths are peace. She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her; those who hold her fast will be blessed.

So as you look back at the verse in James

- Anyone who listens to the word but does not but does not do what it says…

Are you hearing the words God has said about you but forgetting as a result of the crushing words of others? Are you looking in the mirror one minute than forgetting what you look like and who you are simply because of a tragedy or busyness of life? Understand this; God sees you because He is that mirror you are looking into. He has not forgotten your image. He did not declare His promise over you with empty words. He called you ‘GOOD.’ He told you He would not ‘ABANDON’ you and made you with ‘PROMISE.’ He is wanting to reveal your’BEAUTY’ in the right time. He called you “PRECIOUS.’

God has remastered your cassette to reveal your value.

He has looked you in the face and said ‘You is smart, You is kind, You is important.’

He is looking to reveal your Beauty!

CAL