A Thing of Beauty...

So I was looking at my sisters collection of pictures this morning, and noticed that one of her pictures of myself was selected to be in a group. I was flattered, and went to check it out. As I scrolled through the pages and pages of pictures, I admired all the beautiful people. How petite and gorgeous some women were, and how flawless they all seemed. Then I thought back to my picture...UGH! I thought. They could have picked another one. Surely they would have liked another one..I felt so "un-beautiful" in this picture. Why would they choose it?
Then I remembered what someone once told me, and I still remember it to this day. She said to me, "Tawn, you have kind eyes. The kind of eyes that welcome another from across the room, the kind of eyes that tell people everything will be ok. The kind of eyes that see right through to the soul...they're beautiful" she said. and I was amazed. And happy.
People compliment each other all the time, but for someone to take the time to see what was on the other side of my eyes, into my soul..is amazing. It's a rare occurrence for me, so I remember it dearly. Then I thought, this must be what God sees when He looks at us. We like to see the outside, what WE want people to see. Trying desperately to do all we can to mask the wreck that resides inside us. But God has known us from the beginning, and has touched us with little gifts that I think we never even notice. It's that "I can't quite put my finger on it" moment when you see another person and can appreciate them for who they are. truly, they are a thing of beauty. Scripture tells us in 1Peter 3:3-5:

3Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. 4Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight. 5For this is the way the holy women of the past who put their hope in God used to make themselves beautiful.

Now this is the kind of beautiful I hope to be. God has done a work in me, and continues to work always, Lord willing, when I stand before Him- this beauty will be all He sees.