TRUE Beauty
I was recently casted to be the face representing a brand of chips. My photo opened the door for me to meet with the director. The director was hoping to use what he perceived as beauty to sell his product. I showed up on set without any make up and then found myself standing in front of the director while he thoroughly examined every inch of my face to insure the make up artist knew what needed to be done to make me perfectly “Beautiful.” He examined my face several times throughout the shoot just incase anything changed on my outer appearance. At one point he even grabbed my hands to examine my fingernails making sure they were maintained to his perfection!
While the make up artist hovered over me for hours to ensure that my lips would shine perfectly as I ate the chip I thought to myself, “ You see a face that I have been stuck with for 26 years. I have not been able to do anything to change what you see on the outside, but the true beauty you are seeing actually comes from the depths of the trials, tribulation, and heartache this face has gone through over the years! You are seeing the true beauty of one who has overcome the critisim of man, rejection from the world, broken relationships, fear, etc.”
It was in that moment I realized beauty is rarely noted unless it has gone through visible tribulation. I am reminded of the day Nashville, TN endured the flood which nearly ruined many historical places within the city. I lived in this beautiful city for years but if I am being honest I never once thought of going to the Country Music Hall of Fame, The Grand Ole Opry, or the Blue Bird Cafe. It was after the devastating waters tried to ruin Music City that I began to appreciate the true beauty of this town and the worth of these historical monuments.
True beauty comes out of something that was once broken, desolate, and utterly ruined. We learned this as children. Remember the story of The Ugly Duckling. This poor duckling felt ugly on the outside and everyone agreed that he was, yet the duckling turns out to be a beautiful swan. Beauty arises out of what was once considered dark, ugly, unredeemable. This is true beauty, the restoration of what once looked hopeless.
When I look in the mirror what I see is the girl who has always been looking back at me through tears, through braces, through dark nights, through perms, through joy, through change, through despair, through lonliness, etc. It’s the girl that looks back at me and says we won’t give up we wont back down. It is the girl who has learned that her true beauty cannot be reflected by what she sees reflected in the mirror. What you see in the mirror will change. True beauty is the beauty from within. It is the true beauty of one who has endured the process of being transformed from a pile of ashes so she could become truly beautiful both inside and out.
I may be able to take a good photo here and there and my face may even sell your product, but what you see on the surface is not true beauty. True beauty comes from within. It has been refined, redeemed, and restored! A broken vase shattered that has been made new. True Beauty comes from deep within not the opinion of the beholder.