I can't tell you how many mornings I dread getting ready. I know how much effort it's going to take. I know what it takes to go from what I look like waking up to how I look when I walk out the door. Shower, foundation, concealer, powder, bronzer, blush, eye shadow, liner, curled eye lashes, mascara, lipstick. And that's all before I get to styling my hair...
As I was getting ready this morning, I took a good long look at my face in the mirror. What I saw were small red bumps that just showed up, freckles I've hated for years, a nose that looks too big, and a face that's too round. I saw myself and believed that I was ugly.
I forced myself to look myself in the eyes and really see myself. Not just the surface- but the spirit of who I am as a woman; as Holly. I saw resolve, and determination, and a soul that is battling a lot of demons, yet choosing to move forward anyway. And then I looked at all those things about my face that I thought to be ugly... and instead, I started to love them. I thought about how each and every one of those "imperfections" made me unique; natural "tattoos" that distinguished me from every other woman who ever was or ever will be. I thought about how fearfully and wonderfully made I was and how carefully and decidedly each and every part of me was called.
I am a miracle. YOU are a miracle. You are a unique and beautiful creation, distinct from every other person in this world. You are loved, simply because you exist. So today, I am choosing not to wear makeup. I am going to love myself, exactly as I am, because I was perfectly made by loving Hands. I am going to embrace those "flaws" I dislike, and accept them as a part of me, as a part of what makes me rare and valuable. I love how I look with makeup, but I don't want to feel like I have to wear it every time I go out. I want my outer beauty to merely be a reflection of what lies within.
Women, I invite you today to reflect on what makes you beautiful. What qualities or attributes do you admire when you look at yourself? What are your thoughts on beauty and makeup?
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