Inner Beauty

I have enough "fashion photo posts" backed up and ready for use to last me from now until summer, but let's take a time-out from photos for one post, and talk about inner beauty.

There are many spices and flavors in the cheerful pot of whatever it is that bubbles up and gives an inner glow. Many different characteristics combine to create true beauty. Happiness. Sweetness. Unselfishness. Knowing how to laugh at one's self. Energy. Knowledge as opposed to ignorance. Patience. Contentment. Can you list others?

Inner beauty is hard to dissect and analyze, but one thing I know; the fire which heats the pot that holds all these things, and causes their aroma to rise, is none other than the Holy Spirit. Everything is useless without Him. I've seen many beautiful unsaved girls, and several sweet, gentle, unsaved girls, but the sweetness is flat without the fire of the Holy Spirit giving warmth to a heart.

It is a wonderful thing that Christ should promise His presence to His children, living inside them and comforting them and guiding them. Nothing is so sweet as to know He is within us, with us at all times. If we really begin to understand that He is there, in control, and always right, it will change the very way we carry ourselves.

I think that comfort and trust is the key to creating beauty, because a truly beautiful woman is, above all, relaxed. She isn't frazzled, worried, stressed, hyper, or frantic. She isn't biting her nails, creating worry lines, or losing her beauty sleep.

I've had plenty of times to remind myself of that. One of my greatest faults is to "be anxious for everything," instead of letting the peace of God keep my heart and mind. It all boils down to "do I really trust Him to take care of things?" If the answer is yes - and is really, truly IS - then why do I think I must worry so?

Take some time today to think about how you appear to the world around you in this respect. Does your family see you as frazzled and frantic? Or do they see a calm radiance from within? The way you react to stresses in life says a lot about what you think of God. And it affects your looks at the same time.

It's almost bedtime for me. I'm going to try to wake up tomorrow rejoicing in the fact that God's got everything under control. I'm going to let my face relax, my lips smile, my eyes sparkle, and let God be God.

How about you?