This past week we have been bombarded on all major networks about the death of Anna Nicole Smith, tragic? yes, but what made her death the real news maker? The reports I heard seemed to suggest that it was her outward beauty and accomplishment of centerfold in Play Boy magazine that made her popular. Can you imagine that being the ultimate goal of beauty?
Unless I missed something in the news reports I don’t remember any mention given to her "inward beauty" qualities, perhaps none were visible, or perhaps they were not seen as important as what was needful for the "outward beauty" to be protrayed.
It was only by coincidence that I came across this article yesterday, and I would like to share it, as to me it gives the word beauty a different but true meaning.
A beauty product company once asked people in a large city to send pictures, along with brief letters, describing the most beautiful woman they knew. Within weeks, thousands of letters came in.
One letter caught the attention of the employees and was soon passed on to the company president. It was written by a boy from a broken home, who lived in a run-down neighborhood. With lots of spelling corrections, an excerpt from his letter read: "A beautiful woman lives down the street from me. She makes me feel like the most important kid in the world. We play checkers and she listens to my problems. She understands me. When I leave she always yells out the door that she’s proud of me." The boy ended his letter saying, she is the most beautiful woman in the world, and one day I hope I have a wife as pretty as her."
Intrigued by the letter, the president asked to see the woman’s picture. His secretary handed him the photograph of a smiling, toothless woman, well advanced in years, sitting in a wheelchair. Her sparse gray hair was pulled back in a bun. The wrinkles that formed deep furrows on her face were somehow diminished by the twinkle in her eyes.
"We can’t use this woman," exclaimed this president, smiling. "She would show the world that our products aren’t necessary to be beautiful."
The life of Anna Nichol Smith and others classed as supermodels leads us to believe a Lie which says "If we are not supermodel beautiful, then we don’t measure up—we are not enough. " But the Truth is: "We are fearfully and wonderfully made."
To sum this up no matter at what age in life we are, even to Grandmothers and Great Grandmothers we need to strive to learn from the above article and from this quote,
Don’t be concerned about the outer beauty:
Don’t let it define you. Don’t let it cause you undue stress. Don’t make it your most important priority. Don’t let it replace the more important parts of your life. Outer beauty is nothing more than packaging. And unless the inner content is good, too, the outer display won’t make any lasting difference.
Do be known for the inner beauty:
Outer beauty is the first impression someone gets of you; inner beauty is the second and lasting impression. We call it holistic beauty, and it’s real, honest, and lasting. It reveals the contents on the inside of the package that enhance the outer. You can’t fake holistic beauty—it’s the way we look, feel, think, and act."
"Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience ... And over all these virtues put on love..." (Colossians 3: 12,14a).
Thanks for reading, (IY)
Now that you have seen their kids maybe I need to post this one of Twyla and John, seeing they are the proud parents, sure hope they don't mind, if so I'll likely hear about it later, but in the mean time this posting is for all you cousins out there.
