We Are All Beautiful!!

On my way to the grocery store I looked in my mirror and saw black eyeliner and gray eye shadow smeared all up my eye lids and even a bit on the side of my eyes.  My mascara made my eye lashes look like short twigs.  Florida's humidity was melting the make-up right off my face.  I groaned and had this honest thought:  "I guess I'll just have to deal with looking ugly here in Florida."

I looked around at others and wondered why they didn't look ugly.  I wiped the rest of the make-up off of my eyes and entered Walmart.  After picking up my groceries, I stopped to pick up some slightly higher quality eye make-up in hopes it would stay on my face a little longer.

I walked up to the check-out line, and this ADORABLE older lady in a bright pink shirt with a matching Mickey Mouse, pink sunhat instantly turned around.  She flashed a big smile at me and said, "Oh! You are beautiful!"  I was still feeling quite ugly in my bare face, so I smiled and looked at my children automatically assuming she was referring to them.

She wasn't!  I looked back, and she was still looking at ME!  I felt embarrassed and started to tell her that I was buying better make-up.  Without even hearing what I was trying to stammer out, she interrupted me and said, "...and that smile!  I'm an art teacher, and I KNOW beauty!"

Then, she continued to share with me about how she had taught art for years to children.  She shared with me how she lovingly taught the children why it was important to not use the Lord's name in vain.  She also shared about how she brought out the best in kids who others thought were the "trouble" kids.  She teared up as she reminisced about her days as an art teacher and shared her love for God.  I hardly spoke a word... only listened.  I LOVED what she was saying.

As it was time for her to move forward in the line, she needed assistance walking.  As I slipped my arm in hers to help her walk forward, I felt the beauty and sincerity of this precious woman.

I could feel that she lived a life close to her Savior, Jesus Christ.  I knew she had listened to God's prompting for her to tell me... a stranger... that I was beautiful... even without my make-up.  This woman didn't know I had been telling myself how ugly I was.  God knew.  I believe God wanted that ugly talk to stop.  I believe God doesn't want ANY of us to put ourselves down.

I know it was a miracle from God that one of HIS disciples would pass on such a timely message of what beauty really is at the exact moment I needed it the most.

WE ARE ALL BEAUTIFUL!!!  YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL!!!

(This is not Florida by the way.... :-)  I hope this picture shows up the way it does on my computer.. it's a moving picture!  I have no idea how, but my cell phone camera automatically combined several of the pictures I took and made this crazy picture.  I love the beautiful, craziness of children!! :-)  I wish you could hear Juliana laughing hysterically every time she looks at this picture!  She knows she's beautiful for who she is!!)