It's okay to be pretty

Today, in the ladies meeting, one of the ladies(whom I happened to think of as pretty even before today) Shared about humility and being pretty.

She shared how God showed her it's okay to be outwardly pretty,because he created beauty!

It really got me to thinking because I have never allowed myself to really think I was pretty.

For some stupid reason; I would tell myself that(in jr. High and high school) that I wasn't anything special because I didn't want to be stuck up. Some of the friends I had in elementary school were pretty,and when we got into jr.high they became popular and decided they couldn't be my friend anymore. So, I guess I was afraid of being like that,and took it to another extreme. I honestly don't remember my mom saying I looked pretty too many times, I can think of one for sure. I do remember always thinking that my sisters were the pretty ones; and they really were (are) pretty. I look at my youngest sister and often think she is very pretty. It is kind of silly I suppose,that I didn't let myself believe that I could be pretty like my sisters!

Even when I met my husband, and he would tell me I was beautiful, I couldn't figure out what he was seeing! (this is kind of funny, but I thought at first he liked another girl in church , who was my friend. When I realized it was me, not Linda, I was a bit taken aback!)

Over time, I did begin to allow myself to look in the mirror and say "not bad" but that was about it. About a year ago, I invited a neighbor to go to a Mary Kay event as my guest. We were playing with color,and I tried a new lip color. One of the other consultants said I looked beautiful.(again, I thought ; ME??) my neighbor said "Kim is gorgeous anyway" I was really surprised.

When my friend shared today how God told her He didn't have a problem with her image; that SHE did,it really hit me and made me think. She said God had told her it's okay to be pretty.

I have never had a problem with someone else being pretty; I just couldn't let myself think that.

I have always been self concious, and not one who wanted to stand out. If I met someone who was pretty,and they wanted to be my friend, I was always a little taken aback, thinking "She wants to be friends with ME??" I wasn't pretty or good enough!

Today though, I found out different. I learned it's okay to look at myself longer than it takes to put my makeup on. It's okay to look at myself in the mirror and think I look pretty.

I am made in my Father's image,and God created me to look like I do! I even look like him! (wow.)

It's going to take some practice, but I think I can do this! I know I am not a snob,and I am not stuck up,and just because I might look in the mirror and like the way I look, doesn't mean that it's wrong. God doesn't have a problem with the way I look, so I shouldn't either, and nor should you. Thanks Jen, for sharing!!