Embrace Your Beauty

"We are beautiful because God, the creator of beauty, made us." ~Emma Mae Jenkins

​During college, I volunteered for the children’s nursery at church with one of my best friends. For the first few weeks, we worked in the infant and toddler nurseries. Then one Sunday, the children’s ministry director asked if we would be interested in assisting with the older children: 5-8 years of age. I was a bit wary at first because I have more experience working with younger children. But I thought it would be a fun experience shared with one of my best friends. We decided to help out.

The theme was “Creation Fun,” which aimed at opening children’s eyes to the wonder and beauty of science. As a biology major, I found great fulfillment in guiding others to appreciate the scientific world, especially since kids may not see the value in it at a young age.

Science never came easy to me. I remember even dreading it in high school! It wasn’t until college that I discovered a true passion for it. I wanted to help children reach that point perhaps a bit sooner than I had.

The activities our director planned were fun and engaging for the kids. It began with the Creation story, which we took day by day. We jumped in on teaching the second day of Creation: when God made the expanses of sky and water. Then, we talked about the creation of wind and participated in a “wind race.” We set feathers and leaves on the table and the children tried to get them to the other side using straws and the gentle wind produced from their mouths.

We discussed how this was possible: how the small opening in the straw formed a tunnel for the wind to rush through and push the objects across the table. It was entertaining for us to watch the children get caught up in the fun competition of blowing feathers across a table.

Then, we met the sweetest young girl wearing a red, sparkling dress. While the other kids laughed and played around the table, she stood in contentment on the sidelines, twirling around and watching her dress flow. We got a real kick out of it. We turned to her and said, “That’s such a pretty dress. You’re beautiful!”

Her next words were what tickled us the most. When someone compliments you, the typical response is a simple “thank you,” right? Well, this young girl took an unprecedented, hilarious, and beautiful divergence from the usual “thank you.” Upon hearing our compliment, she turned to us and stated, “I know!”

We’ve been chuckling ever since we heard those words. Sometimes, if we can remember, we’ll respond to compliments from each other in the same way. We’ll get ready for a night out; one of us will turn to the other and say, “Wow, you look beautiful.” The other will respond by laughing and answering, “I know!”

I admire this young girl’s simplistic grace, as well as her confident understanding of just how beautiful she is. In today’s culture, many of us have a habit of feeling like we’re never enough. When someone throws a thoughtful comment our way, the immediate reaction is often, “Oh no, that’s not true.”

There’s nothing wrong with thinking you’re beautiful as a woman or handsome as a man, on the outside and on a deeper level. What if we approached life with the knowledge that we are precious and valuable? Such that, when someone acknowledges it in us, we say, “I know!” How would we carry ourselves differently if we believed it?

Another incredible thing happens when you recognize your beauty. Suddenly, you aren’t afraid to acknowledge it in others. How often do we feel jealous or threatened when we’re in the company of people who seem prettier, skinnier, more handsome, or more muscular?

When we come to accept how God made us, we have the courage to speak truth into others’ lives, because we are no longer bound by the need to “one-up” them. We can serve as reminders of how beautiful they are when they’ve forgotten it themselves.

Through the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross, we possess more value than we could ever imagine. No amount of jewelry, cologne, or elaborate clothing could add to or take from it. Maybe we can approach life as this little girl does, recognizing our infinite worth and beauty through our identities in Christ. Because of Who God is, we are priceless, and it isn’t arrogant to act like it.

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Photocred: Unsplash