Chapter One-Hundred-and-Two: Beauty is in the Eye of the Beholder

We've all heard the phrase, "beauty is in the eye of the beholder," but have we really ever thought about it before? How do we define beauty, and who is the beholder we speak of?
As we know, Easter has passed, meaning Lent is over. Today I'm going to talk about what I gave up for 40 days, and what I gained from the experience.

Make-up and I go way back. From playing with my mom's large collection of blushes to experimenting with my best friend's big sister's eye shadows, I enjoyed the art of dress up from a young age. In middle school I wore bright green eye shadow and too much eyeliner to make me look tough. In high school, the colors (thankfully) became more natural and casual. Before I knew it, applying make-up every morning became a sort of daily chore.

I enjoyed it, nevertheless. It was fun to try new styles or watch how-to videos. I liked it, but it started to take a toll. 

I didn't feel comfortable leaving the house without some sort of cover. I religiously put on a mask every morning, because I didn't like the bare, naked face I saw in the mirror. Make-up became my crutch, my shield, and my wall. 

Lent is about reflecting on the ultimate sacrifice Christ made for us. It's appropriate to give up something that could be something we turn to for indulgence...something that separates us from Christ. I realized make-up had taken hold of me by the throat, and was killing my self-confidence. I had to let it go. 

On Ash Wednesday, I woke up at my normal time. I usually shower and take about 20-30 minutes putting on make-up to get ready for a day of classes. Starting on Ash Wednesday, I had an awkward long period of time between waking up and class full of...nothing. It was a little relieving not having to rush to get out of the dorm every morning, but I was scared. I know, it sounds ridiculous, but it's true! I was afraid people would notice me.

I felt like people would look at me differently because of my appearance. I had an interview for admittance to my student teaching program during lent, and was afraid they would look down on me because of my imperfect skin. I felt like my classmates would ask "Are you feeling okay?" because I thought I looked sick. I was expecting people to say, "You look tired," because my dark circles were on full display. And guess what? 

None of that happened.

I got into the teaching program, no questions asked. No one said I looked awful or hideous, in fact, my roommates and boyfriend even said they couldn't tell I wasn't wearing make-up. I was totally surprised, but then again, I wasn't. It was irrational to have the fears I had, but that's why it was so necessary to give make-up a break. 

Beauty is mentioned numerous times in the Bible. As Christians, it's important to realize that outward appearance means nothing; what matters is our hearts. We should seek for beauty not in our make-up brushes but in the love of Christ. 

During Lent, I discovered a very valuable lesson. God LOVES us. I know, that sounds like a "well, duh" statement, but hear me out. He loves all of us. Not only that, but he calls us to love all of his creation. This means to love the pretty oceans just as much as the desert. Love your best friend as much as the stranger who sits next to you in class. Love YOURSELF. In order to fully love God, we have to accept that he wants us to love ourselves and those around us. This means we should love ourselves whether we are rocking a dress or sweats, pimples or freckles. 

I needed to love my blemished, imperfect, pale, plain face...because, really, that's what makes me beautiful.

"Beauty is in the Eye of the Beholder." 

Beauty is a fluid term, so let me better describe it with examples. A vast, deep blue ocean. A deep red and purple West Texas sunset. A lush, green forest. Warm coffee. Books with depth. The Milky Way. Disney flicks. Late nights full of laughter. Music. Art. You.

Who is the Beholder? Well, it depends on who you ask. Some will say we are our own beholder. Others will say important people in our lives are the beholders. What do I say? God is my Beholder. 

Now that Easter is here, I can wear make-up again. I have, and enjoyed it, but I've limited myself, too. I'm not sharing this for people to tell me I'm pretty and shouldn't be insecure...I'm sharing this because I know I'm not alone. 

Others may not be struggling with beauty the same way I did. It's just so important for us to realize that we should focus more on our inward beauty and not our outward appearance. 

"Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." (2 Corinthians 4:16-18)

God is our Beholder...and his creation truly is what beauty is.