"Of course." Say WHAT?!

Good morning!

So, today I was getting ready for the day. I was looking in the mirror and noticed something about my physical appearance that... isn't necessarily my favorite feature, shall we say? Yeah, I was being just a little bit hard on myself. It was stupid, really.

You know those imaginary conversations you have in your head? Like, you would say to Mr. So-and-So, "Mr. So-and-So, [insert your choice of dialogue here]," and he would respond, "Why, Ms. Jane Doe, [insert your choice of response here]!" (Come on, don't pretend like you don't know what I'm talking about. We all do it.)

Well, I had one of those moments. In this particular case, the Mr. So-and-So of my imagination (or I suppose you might call him my conscience) said, in reference to my appearance, "Is there anything you don't like about yourself?" And I responded, "Of course."

"Of. Course."

WHAT is wrong with that statement?



First of all, it implies that there are definite, undeniable imperfections--abnormalities, even--about my appearance. Oftentimes, popular culture would have us believe that if you're different, you're abnormal. You're stupid. You're ugly. You're not good enough. What. A. Lie. Isn't the opposite true? Different is beautiful, isn't it? (If you're answering, "No" right now... WRONG ANSWER!) Roses are nice and all, but can you imagine a world with ONLY roses? No daisies, daffodils, tulips, snapdragons, pansies, morning glories... Ugh. How bland. I don't know about you, but I like my snapdragons.

And second, my mental reply "Of course" implies that females not only inevitably beat themselves up, but they're expected to. That should not be true!

I remember at a church camp I went to in 2010, a man called Brother Huso said, "It takes faith for a young woman to look in the mirror and not beat herself up." Yeah, it does. Faith in yourself, and faith in the Lord. Because you know what I thought immediately after answering Mr. So-and-So? Heavenly Father doesn't care what jean size I wear, or what brand of sweater I have in my closet, or if my eyebrows are perfectly plucked or not. He doesn't look on the outward appearance; He looks on the heart (1 Samuel 16:7).

He DOES, however, care about how I treat myself. Do I appreciate and accept His love for me as I am? Am I doing my best to have that same kind of love for myself, as well as others?

The next time Mr. So-and-So asks me if there's anything I don't like about my physical appearance, I want to be able to say, "No. Because I am a daughter of God, and if one split end or unpainted fingernail doesn't bother Him, it doesn't bother me. I know my worth, and I embrace it. I love my uneven toes and my chipped tooth and my ever-short fingernails. They're part of what makes me, me."

I am a daughter of God, and I wish everyone recognized that they are children of God, too! Honestly, I may not be a "perfect" 36"-24"-36", but WHO CARES? Seriously. I'm not saying we should totally disregard our physical appearance; we want to look nice. That's dandy. I just don't think a crooked smile ever kept anyone out of Heaven. In fact, I bet the best places in Heaven are FILLED with crooked smiles.

And I strive to contribute my own crooked smile to that crowd one day.

I'd like to...
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