Beauty Flows From a Heart at Rest

"Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of good jewelry and fine clothes. Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit." 1 Peter 3:3-4

Beauty comes from the inner parts of us, a heart at rest. None of us are perfect, and most of us are still searching and striving for this beauty, we have yet to learn, to realize that a woman who is truly beautiful has he heart at rest in Chrjst, and she is confidant in her identity as daughter of God.

This is a direct quote from captivating, a book discussing the heart and soul of a woman. "To have a gentle and quiet spirit is to have a heart of faith, a heart that trusts in God, a spirit that has been quieted by his love and filled with his peace. Not a heart that is striving and restless. A woman in her glory, a woman of beauty, is a woman who is not striving to become beautiful or worthy or enough. She knows in her quiet center where God dwells that he finds her beautiful, has deemed her worthy, and in him, she is enough. In fact, the only thing getting in the way of being fully captivating and enjoyed is our striving." 

 Now this is beautiful - to know that we are God's and to have a heart at rest in him is what makes us most beautiful. My dear sisters, I encourage you to seek our God, to seek a deeper relationship with him, and to learn your identity is in him, and have confidence in that identity as his daughter. 

The Lord has recently revealed to me that I was lacking confidence - confidence in my identity as his daughter. In my circle of friends, in my community I was confident in my identity, but step outside that safe zone and I was terrified. I am terrified to be judged for who i am. That people may not like me if they know I'm Christian. This weekend I was on a retreat and we talked about womanhood and being a woman, perfectly lining up with this realization that I lack this confidence that is so crucial to being a Christian. A friend shared a beautiful image of Mary with me - Mary's fearlessness. She went into a world, pregnant knowing she would be ridiculed for being with child before she wed, but she fearlessly carried Jesus in her womb, and gave her yes. Be it done unto me according to thy word. Lk 1:38

Mary, intercede for me, intercede for all women that we may emulate your virtue of fearlessness in our identity as daughters of God. Help to us say yes to the will Christ, and to tespond with joy and gratitude to the promptings of Christ in our hearts.