It's sad when you think about the labels humans tend to put on each other.
You look at the magazines and movie posters, full of 'beautiful' women, with flawless skin, large eyes and long, luscious hair, and you sigh when you realize that you're so...ordinary.
Oh, dear one, you are far from ordinary.
You are lovely.
I once made a comment to a friend, saying Abraham Lincoln was very handsome.
Of course, you can imagine the listener's response.
"Lincoln was known for being ugly!"
How sad, when people look at each other and think them ugly. Homely.
If we only looked at each other through the eyes of God, we would see ourselves and others so much differently.
If we could see others as human beings, created by the same God, with hearts, feelings, and souls.
That girl you saw at your local grocery, cries, hurts and aches just like you, and she has many fears, struggles, and insecurities, just like you.
The man that passes your house each day, with the round face and large nose, has a soul that longs to be at peace, just as much as you.
Every human being, every solitary soul scattered across this globe, is beautiful.
The old woman with laugh lines, thin gray hair, and wrinkles at the corners of her eyes, is gorgeous.
That skinny teenage boy with the huge Adam's apple, is handsome.
The young, insecure girl with large glasses, freckles, and large teeth, is a shining angel.
Black, white, red, yellow, young, old, male, female.
Whether you have flawless skin, acne, perfect teeth or braces.
We are all crafted with loving hands, hands that long to hold all of us in the bosom of His Grace, loved, wanted.
All of us.
How fickle humans can be.
We rate each other like we would the flavor of an apple, or the quality of a cow, and then when society changes its mind on 'beauty', we change ours, too.
Clint Eastwood was told he'd probably never make much of himself as an actor.
He was too skinny, his eyes much too squinted, he talked soft, his Adam's apple was too big, and, goodness, he was blond.
Not dark and handsome like William Holden. No, he'd never make it.
Against their better judgement, the studio used him anyway, and what a shock, when years later, this 'ugly' skinny boy became one of the biggest stars in Hollywood history.
But even more than that, he was considered one of the handsomest men in America. And still is.
What silly, foolish creatures we are!
Placing each other on a scale, tossing some out, telling others, 'Oh, you're all right, I suppose. Pretty, but not beautiful.' and even when we do find one that seems 'gorgeous' we are always watching them, urging them to fix this, don't do that.
It seems we only find the flaws in others.
How often do we look for the good? The beautiful?
Not a single one of us is useless, unloved. Ugly.
That's such a dreadful word. Ugly.
Look at yourself.
Deep down, you are no saint.
We all are sinners. Wretched sinners, in need of a loving Savior.
But in that Savior's eyes, we are treasure.
Treasure that He came to save, and keep, until it can truly shine, for all eternity.
Crafted like snowflakes, with something special about each one of us.
When we can put aside all our foolish pride and cruel judgement, to truly see each other, and look for the living soul inside, then we can catch a glimpse of something heavenly.
Then we can see a small part of the face of God.
Love each other, and uplift one another.
Even that tattoo-covered, pierced young teenager with the hard eyes is in need of love, forgiveness, and understanding.
Because in truth, without God, we would all be down that road, wouldn't we?
Let's think about this before we are so quick to lash out with cruel judgments and mocking words.
Why not put aside the phrase, 'Look at that weirdo' and choose instead, 'Oh, Lord, there is another treasure in need of rescuing. Won't you help them today?'
It's up to us to shine our light in such a dark world.
Because, despite the hate, the anger and war this earth is so full of, God's light will never go out, and His warm, loving gaze can mend the dirtiest, filthiest wounds.
God loves you. And He loves me.
How can we not love each other?
LaKaysha
