In my garden I have an African Daisy plant.  It is a sweet and simple little plant, but I think it is absolutely beautiful.  It would be easy to walk by this plant and hardly notice it.  When it is not blooming it is just this plain little green plant.  It’s not very big or even very flashy.  From a distance it would be easy to overlook its sweet and simple beauty.

When I get a little closer to the plant, I think it’s beauty is absolutely breath taking.

I think the same thing happens with people.  It is easy to overlook people at a distance, to take them for granted and not see their real beauty.  I know that I have overlooked many people or made judgements from a distance about their beauty.  I also have experienced what it is like to be judged at a distance and to be overlooked.

It seems to me that most beauty in our world is not flashy or attention getting, but instead is very simple and sweet in nature.  Every day I want to see that beauty that is in the world around me.  There is just something about lovely people and delightful things which brings encouragement to me.  I like to think of it as God’s splendor sprinkled throughout my day.

I have so many breathtakingly beautiful people in my life.  I have an incredible family.  I have remarkably awesome friends.  People who have been willing to cut across the distance, and to get close to me.  My dear friend, Michelle, was so kind to remind me just last night that I have a sweet and simple beauty.  It was one of those things that was so good to hear that it’s still making me tear up today.

It is a huge blessing in return that they have allowed me to draw near to them so that I may see their beauty.  They are so irresistibly and exquisitely lovely.  My friends, you are so splendidly beautiful!

When I think of Bible verses about beauty, I very often hold to 1 Peter 3:3-4 (NIV), “Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes.  Rather, 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.”

The unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit.  I do not know about you, but I sure long for unfading beauty.  In fact, it’s on my list of dreams for myself.   I have a list of dreams that I keep inside my Bible.  I wrote it after a friend of mine gave a sermon on dreams.  It’s quite worn and tattered around the edges as it’s been in my Bible for at least four years now.  A couple of items from my list are:

• to become a person at rest with who I am
• to have true beauty that comes from a depth of soul only attained through living many years well

I am smiling today as I see a connection to the verses from 1 Peter and to my goals as I never have before.  Peace and gentleness are incredible fruits of the spirit, evidence of growth within the inner self.

Can I tell you something quite silly about myself?  I really like my gray hairs.  I have more and more of them all the time.  I think they are sweet and simple and beautiful.  That’s right, I dared to say it.  I think the gray strands in my hair are so pretty.  I like how they come in a few at a time, over a period of time.  To me it is like an honor that I am growing into.  Believe me there are plenty of things about myself that I am not so keen about, but my gray hairs those I like.  They are simple and sweet.

But that’s on my outside.  When it comes to my inner self, I like my smile.  I can sense that some are about to correct me on this, that a smile, like gray hair, is also external, but hear me out first.  My list of goals, the first one on my list is “to be gloriously alive and in love with the God that created me.”  That is all about spirit and soul.  I also believe it is that life & love which give a vibrant and radiant light to my smile.  It even says in Proverbs 15:13a (NIV), “a happy heart makes the face cheerful.”  A bright smile comes from the inside.

I get complimented on my smile fairly frequently.  For a long time I didn’t even like my smile.  It is definitely not a super model smile.  But the incredible loving relationship that I have with Christ, that makes my smile pretty incredible.  It turns out that other people notice that too.

What about you?  What is it about yourself that is simple and sweet?  What do you think is beautiful about yourself?

I hope there is something about you that you feel is sweet, simple and beautiful.  Thank you so much for taking some time with me today.  Every post of mine that you read, it makes me think that you are so sweet and simply beautiful.  I am uplifted and have joy in my day because of you.  I hope I can share a bit of joy in return.

Beloved and Treasured Lord,

Thank you so much for the glorious ways that You love us.  You are so sweet and pour so much splendor into our days.  Lord, I pray for each of us to see more of Your beauty and in Your reflection see more of our own beauty as well.  

Lord, I lift up a specific prayer for all of those who think and believe that they are not beautiful.  Lord, that’s a dark place to be in and I know that from experience.  But I also know that it is not true, so my tear soaked prayer is a request that You should shine a soft welcoming light in the darkness for them.  Show them Your love for them and help them to see You.  May it help them to see the beauty You have given them both inside and outside.  Lord, I pray for individuals to come in their lives to nurture and nourish those dry spots with hope and love that points back to You.

Please help us all to get close and to allow others to be close so we can really take in the beauty that is around us.  May it make our hearts happy, and may it shine through in our smiles.

In the sweet, simple and beautiful name of Jesus, amen.