I'm Beautiful

This past weekend, my Mom and I had the privilege of attending a Women's Conference hosted by the BGCO (Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma) at Falls Creek in Davis, OK (also known as the Arbuckle Mountains).  I have only been to the Falls Creek campus once, and that was when I was in elementary school.  It sure has changed since I was there last!  In fact, it really was a new place for me to experience, as I had no recollection of the same things (except my old church's cabin - it happened to be right behind the one my Mom and I stayed in).

This conference boasted quite a few speakers, with headliners including Kelly Minter and Angela Thomas.  I had heard their names before, but had not experienced any of their teachings or read any of their books, so I was in for a treat.  The conference had 3 general sessions and your choice of 3 break-out sessions.  All in all, there were a total of about 20 different break-out sessions, but you had to narrow your choices down to 3.  Let me tell you - that was really hard for me to do!  I finally got it narrowed down to 5, and asked the Lord to show me the 3 that I should attend.

As I was anticipating this weekend, I had asked the Lord to move mightily in my life and show me something that I was missing.  To guide people into my life this weekend to teach me about His word and what He wants me to know.  To remind me of things I've been missing or things I have forgotten.  And He came through.

The first break-out session I attended was about pursuing your dreams.  The Lord definitely spoke to me during this session, but I will not write about that today.  What I'm going to write to you about is the second session I attended.  A session that was on my top 5 list, but I had marked it off because I knew it would be crowded.  The Lord had other plans.

I walked into this room to find Robin Marsh and Lauren Nelson, both news anchors at a local television station but also new authors of a book for teen girls.  In our booklet of information we received for the conference, it told that Robin and Lauren would be hosting a session, but that it was meant for teenagers, but women were not disqualified from attending.  (Which is really one of the reasons I had crossed them off to begin with since I am definitely not a teen anymore!)  But the topic of the break-out session was "He loves me, He loves me not?"  Obviously the Lord brought me here, so let's see what He has to say through them.

They first started the session by giving a young lady a makeover and giving some makeup tips while women were coming in and finding their seats.  And, if anyone is going to know about makeup and fixing yourself up, it's definitely going to be Robin and Lauren.  After all, Lauren was Miss America 2007.  I'm thinking "okay Lord, are you telling me I need to wear more makeup?"

Then Robin and Lauren flowed the conversation into inward and outward beauty.  They wanted to remind us ladies of how beautiful we are because of Him.

I will tell you right now - I vividly remember the one and only time I have ever been told I was beautiful...and that was over 20 years ago.

I can tell you where I was.

What the weather was like.

What I had been doing that day.

Who it was that told me.

The feeling I had inside.

It was that one and only time.  I'm 35 now.  I had gone 15 years before hearing it for the first time, and I've gone 20 years since hearing it that only time.

No, I may not be a teenager anymore, but I have the feelings of one.  I still experience heartbreak and hurt.  I still experience drama.  Those feelings never go away.

So as I was sitting in this class Friday afternoon, I was told I was beautiful.  My heart was overwhelmed and I was brought to tears.

Not that someone was standing in front of me, telling me that, but someone was reminding me of what the Lord has been telling me all along.

I'm beautiful.

And you know what friends?  I know I am not the only one who has lived their life, thinking that she is not beautiful.  In our society today, those are not words we really express to one another on a daily basis.  I certainly do not go up to my friends and tell them "you're beautiful".  It doesn't seem to come up in a daily conversation.

But after all these years, after experiencing the pain of thinking I wasn't beautiful, why can't I tell someone else that they are beautiful?

Psalms 45:11 says "let the King be enthralled by your beauty; honor Him, for He is your Lord". (NIV)

Lauren shared this verse Friday afternoon.  She reminded us that the Lord is enthralled by our beauty.  He calls us beautiful.

Friends - please know that you are beautiful on both the outside and the inside.  If I had the chance to talk to you in person today, I would tell you how beautiful you are.

Remember those words when you're having one of those days.

You know, the kind when nothing in your closet fits or looks right.

You're beautiful.

The day your hair doesn't want to part where it usually does or wants to stick straight up in the air.

You're beautiful.

The day that you've woken up with the biggest zit imaginable and can't bear to be in public.

You're beautiful.

The day after your boyfriend has broken up with you and you can't seem to think of any other reason except you're ugly.

You're beautiful.

I am so grateful to the Lord for sending this gentle reminder to me this weekend.

In closing, Robin asked Lauren to lead us in this song as we were departing.  As many of you know, I don't really listen to Christian music.  So, when I'm in an arena like I was this past weekend, there are many songs sung that I do not know.  This was one of them.  But now, I can't get this song out of my head.  It was so appropriate for this weekend.  Please listen to it if you have time.

And remember...you're beautiful.  Let Him make you new.



I'm beautiful.

He is making me new.