“Do not let your adornment be merely outward—arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel—rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God.” 1 Peter 3:3-4

Disappearing Beauty

Walk His Way Revisited
First Posted in July, 2014

Between the ages of 7 and 14, my family lived in a mobile home on the outskirts of town. It was tiny by mobile park standards, with only between 11 and 13 homes at a time, each with a nice-sized lawn. The arrangement was circular, with a huge community lawn in the center, and a creek running along one side. The far side of the creek led to foothills, which provided wonderful times of exploration for us. Well, except for the time my brother brought home ticks, but that’s another story!

I went through a phase of collecting rocks from the creek. I’d see them under the water, glistening with beautiful colors and sparkles. Eagerly, I’d gather them up and take them home, lining them up alongside the house. The problem was, as soon as they dried out, their beauty would disappear. They would transform into plain grey stones, with nary a sparkle in sight. I would get teased about this, but still I persisted in bringing home new rocks. Why? Because I knew a mere splash from the garden hose would bring back their beauty. Perhaps I was easily entertained, but I loved watching the prettiness reappear like magic. Never mind that it was only temporary; I could bring it back whenever I wished to. I didn’t need to see outward beauty for those rocks to be of value to me. Just because I couldn’t always see the beauty didn’t mean it wasn’t there.

This has made me wonder about my own “disappearing beauty.” I’m not talking outward appearances…I’m talking about all the things I let happen, that make all semblance of beauty go away. Perhaps it’s ugly words that just fly out of my mouth, or those times when I’m too tired and stressed to be able to show grace to someone who really needs it. Sometimes it’s me who needs the grace, but grace isn’t given. I get hurt when those around me fail to try to understand the damage done to me in life. That can really send me into a tailspin of self-loathing thoughts that are anything but beautiful.

I need to “splash” myself daily with Jesus! Forget daily, and forget the splash. Soaking minute by minute is more like it! It’s up to me, and I need to pursue it. God is the only One who will bring any beauty in my life. With Him, I can speak words of life. I can sing songs of worship. I can extend grace, and accept not getting it. The list goes on.

What are the areas in your life that can make the beauty disappear? What can you do to prevent it from happening?

“Father, please show me the areas in my life where I allow ugliness to seep in. I confess to You my weaknesses. It’s only in You that I can have beauty, and it’s only in You that I can add to the beauty. Thank You for loving me, warts and all! May my life bring glory to You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”