I stumbled upon beautiful.

I stumbled upon beautiful the other day. Actually, I've been stumbling over beautiful a lot lately. The strange thing though is that it hasn't looked like the beautiful I've blindly come to accept in the past. It didn't look like the irrepressibly-thin model spread out on the page of that magazine. Nor did it look like Taylor Lautner in the latest movie of The Twilight Saga. And it didn't look like the girl walking out of the gym whose hair is still perfectly in place after an hour run or the guy who looks and smells like he just walked off a poster hanging in Hollister. It hasn't looked like any of this--the beautiful I'm used to obsessing over.

The father at church Sunday morning sharing his weaknesses and struggles in front of the entire church, completely unveiling himself to us and wanting to move forward. I stumbled upon beautiful. The elderly man at my boyfriend's church who asked for prayer & then poured out his heart before the Lord with tears rolling down his face. I stumbled upon beautiful. My friend who has experienced pain in such a deep way in her young life, yet still looks heavenward with a secure hope in her heart. I stumbled upon beautiful. The sweet little girl Sunday morning who sings to God at such a young and innocent age. I stumbled upon beautiful.

And that is what it looked liked. People who have endured so much in their lives and are willing to be imperfect, being REAL AND TRANSPARENT with themselves and those around them. They don't try and act like they have it all together and they don't hide behind a mask. Because this dehumanizing act of pretending we are perfect when we are not, what is so beautiful about this? And I am one of them, striving for an "unrealistic beautiful" has dominated a number of my days that I am not proud of. But God is patient with me and everyday He is opening my eyes to what he sees as beautiful...And I know he sees beautiful in their lives. They are the ones who show me beautiful, they remind me and for that I am thankful.

I think this quote sums up what I am trying to say...
"The most beautiful people we have known are those who have known defeat, known suffering, known, known struggle, known loss, and have found their way out of the depths. These persons have an appreciation, a sensitivity, and an understanding of life that fills them with compassion, gentleness, and a deep loving concern. Beautiful people do not just happen."