A week ago I had the honor and privilege of attending a very fancy and prestigious beauty event. Everyone who was anyone in the industry was there.
I felt completely in my element, being from that world after all, yet I also felt like I totally didn’t belong. First of all, I was of the more “mature“ crowd...me and all of my 36 years. Most attendees were in their early 20’s. Second of all, I was the only one who felt remotely uncomfortable taking a selfie. I mean if you know me, I do snap selfies, but these people were on a different level. Everyone was walking around with absolute self-confidence and at first it was quite intimidating. My first thoughts were that I didn’t compare and everyone there was flawless and I was just some silly old stay-at-home mom playing dress up in a world I didn’t belong in. But as I really observed everyone, trying not to look too creepy as I intently people watched, I noticed that while everyone looked confident, there was an emptiness behind it. It was like there was nothing deeper than the perfection showcased. It broke my heart. Maybe because I’m a mom. Maybe it is because my goal is to make sure that everyone knows that they are gorgeous just because they are their own unique selves and not how much glam they can rummage up. Maybe it’s because you can be pretty, but when you let your inner beauty shine through, you go from simply pretty to absolutely stunning. I wish each person in that room knew how remarkable they were just because they were themselves and not just because of how much makeup they wore or Instagram followers they had. I wish that they in return then created content on social media for all of their young, impressionable, and vulnerable followers that encouraged them to stand with their heads held high because they were each remarkable too. But that wasn’t the case and I wanted to give each of them a big ol‘ hug and speak life into them. So here I am now, speaking to you. Please don’t fall into the trap that you have to look a certain way, dress a certain way, or have so many “likes” on Instagram to have worth. You were created with worth and value that is priceless and matchless. I hope that as you let those truths sink into your soul that you turn around and speak those truths to others around you. We all need life giving encouragement. Let’s be the ones who walk in our value and and speak it to others.
“I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.” Psalm 139:14
