July 15, 2009
God’s Grand Finale
Sharon Jaynes
Today’s Truth
“I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made” (Psalm 139:14 NIV).
Friend To Friend
I was sitting in a crowded restaurant with my family when she walked by in her full-length white satin dress delicately trimmed in lace and studded with tiny “jewels,” crinoline that swished as she moved across the room, a rhinestone tiara upon her head, and pearl studded slippers on her feet. Golden ringlets framed her rosy cheeks and puckered lips glistened with a hint of gloss. She knew she was beautiful and glanced around at the admiring smiles of onlookers as she walked through the crowd. She was three-years-old.
I’m not sure when the dream of being beautiful enters a little girl’s mind, but I do know when the dream ends – when the preacher says, “may she rest in peace.”
I remember as a little girl sneaking into my mother’s closet and slipping my child-size feet into her size seven high heels. I’d also stand on my tiptoes on a chair, pull a hat off the top shelf, and plop it on my head like an oversized lampshade. Her satin evening jacket with sleeves that hug eight inches below my finger tips gave a nice elegant touch to my outfit. A lady going to a party would never be caught without “putting on her face,” so I crept into the bathroom, opened the forbidden drawer, and created a clownish work of art on the palette of my face. Red rouge circles on my cheeks, heaps of blue eye shadow on my munchkin lids, and smeared orange lipstick far exceeding the proper border were finished off with a dusting of facial powder with an oversized brush.
From the time a little girl stretches on her tiptoes to get a peek in the mirror, she desires to be beautiful – perhaps like her mommy. As the girl moves into the teen years, she experiments with makeup, delves into fashion, and attempts various hairstyles. Then it’s on to makeover ideas in magazines and on talk shows. If one idea doesn’t work – well, there’s always next month.
I believe the dream to be beautiful is not cultural, but at the very core of womanhood. John Eldredge, in his book Wild at Heart, describes three longings that lie at the heart of every man: a battle to fight, a beauty to rescue, an adventure to live. He also ventures to say that women have three longings of the heart as well: to be fought for, to share in an adventure, and to have her beauty unveiled. “Not to conjure,” Eldredge explains, “but to unveil. Most women feel the pressure to be beautiful from very young, but that is not what I speak of. There is also a deep desire to simply and truly be the beauty and be delighted in. Most little girls will remember playing dress up, or wedding day, or ‘twirling skirts,’ those flowing dresses that were perfect for spinning around in. She’ll put her pretty dress on, come into the living room and twirl. What she longs for is to capture her daddy’s delight.” (John Eldredge, Wild at Heart (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2001) p16-17)
We should never be ashamed of our dream to be beautiful. It is a travesty of the feminist movement that has tried to strip women of their femininity and make them more male. It is as if those in the movement were saying that being a woman wasn’t good enough and tried to make us into men. So they tried to make women tough, independent and rugged individuals who didn’t need anyone or anything. But those who were banking on the tenants of feminism were left spiritually and emotionally bankrupt.
A woman was and is one of God’s most magnificent creations. As a matter of fact, she was His grand finale. After He fashioned Eve, creation was complete and He took a rest! God has placed in our hearts a love for beauty and a desire to be beautiful – as He defines it.
In the New Testament, Paul writes, “For we are God’s workmanship” (Ephesians 2:10). The Greek word for workmanship means a work of art. Listen to these words as David describes the Creator at work.
For you created my inmost being;
You knit me together in my mother’s womb.
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
Your works are wonderful, I know that full well.
My frame was not hidden from you
When I was made in the secret place.
When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,
Your eyes saw my unformed body. (Psalm 139:13-16)
Like an artist who sees the finished work in his mind’s eye, God saw your unformed substance and then began to fashion you from head to toe. He made no mistakes but planned each detail of your being. You do not need to compare yourself to other works of art, but thank the Artist for how He chose to create the masterpiece called … you.
Let’s Pray
Dear Lord, thank You for making each and every part of my being. For eyes that see, ears that hear, legs that move, fingers that feel, arms that hug, feet that run, a heart that beats, a brain that thinks, a tongue that tastes. Oh Lord, forgive me when I complain about Your workmanship and wish for something different. Help me to always remember that I am Your workmanship … and that You make no mistakes.
In Jesus’ Name,
Amen.
Now It’s Your Turn
Make a list of all the parts of your body that you are thankful for. This could take quite some time and perhaps you’ll need to come back to your list several times before it is complete.
Get out an anatomy book or visit a web page that shows the various body systems (the circulatory system, the nervous system, the skeletal muscles, etc.) and read about the intricacies of the human body.
If you have children, look at the various systems together and marvel at God’s incredible creation.
Look up the following verses and note what they say about your beauty.
2 Corinthians 3:18
Psalm 45:11
I Peter 3:3-5
Proverbs 11:22 (This verse describes a woman who is beautiful on the inside, but unattractive on the inside.)
To comment on today’s devotion, visit Sharon’s blog at www.sharonjaynes.com/blog
More From The Girlfriends
All little girls have dreams, but for most of us, life doesn’t turn out like we thought. But did you know that God has great dreams for you? Yes, He wants to fulfill your little girl dreams in His own way. And that’s not all, He has greater plans for you than you ever imagined. Put your hand in His and dare to dream again! To learn more, see Sharon’s book Dreams of a Woman: God’s Plan for Fulfilling Your Dreams.
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Originally published Wednesday, 15 July 2009.
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