You Are More Than Beautiful

Growing up, I wasn’t the little princess that everybody complimented. The corner of my four walled humble home was the best place I knew;

it was the place I would hide and cry my sorrows away. You see, I was a very slim and dark young girl, who happened to have ‘big eyes’ and ‘long legs’. According to the beauty standards of where I came from at that point of time, that was far from ‘BEAUTIFUL’. Basically, my society was telling me, “If only you had a little more 'meat', lighter complexion and possibly have smaller eyes, then you would be beautiful”.

I got used to hearing “You have skin like charcoal”, “Between you and a skeleton, there is no difference!”, “Why are you not as pretty as your sister”….and the list goes on and on. These led me to lose all my confidence. The girl who was once full of life and optimism was replaced by the girl who always cried herself to sleep. I was never good enough, pretty enough, even to the people I loved the most. People branded me as the ‘crybaby’, ‘weak’, ‘ugly’ and even the ‘outsider’.

These words pierced through my heart and soul like a sharp knife. The pain cut too deep to a point I felt I had no reason to live. At the age of only 11 years old, I attempted suicide on several occasions.

Don’t feel sorry for me! I am still alive aren’t I? This fairy tale is not over yet.

Today I am grateful for all that pain. Through the tears, the hurt and all the storms I faced, I can stand steadfast and say “I am more than beautiful”. Yes, I am still slim, dark and my big eyes didn’t go anywhere. But I am still more than beautiful.

I thank God for this dark skin, for it surely save me a whole lot of money; I don’t need sunscreen! For these eyes of mine, to God be the glory because a lot of people are now getting surgery just to enlarge their eyes. And did I mention that they can see perfectly! I thank the good Lord for this body of mine. It’s a beautiful slim vessel. Everybody assumes am fit! Plus I look younger than my age. LOL!

I have come to learn that a person’s identity lies beyond their physical appearance. Beauty is just a part of you, not all of you. You are more than what people think. Why limit yourself based on the standards created by other human beings? There is more to you than just your appearance, personality, your job, your talents and even my background.

You are fearfully and wonderfully made by a Creator who carefully knitted you in your mother’s womb. He knows the number of hair on your head and none falls without His knowledge. You are created by the hands that made the stars, the moon and all the mysteries of the universe. Just how the human body functions in itself is a miracle. So how can you be reduced to the color of your skin? Or how much you weigh?

It breaks my heart to see how the society is today. Our beautiful girls are now going the extra mile of endangering their lives just to go through surgery to get the ‘perfect body’. Some even take pills and apply products on their skin to achieve the ‘ideal body image’. If you have done this, please don’t feel like I am attacking you. My point is that you are perfect the way you are. You don’t need fixing.

Men, on the other hand, are measured by the size of their muscles, the car they drive, the zeros they’ve got in their bank account and many other ridiculous aspects. What are all these things for? How can a being made in the image of God be defined by all these?

This body will one day rot six foot under. Don’t let it define you!

Regardless of your religious beliefs, I think we can agree on one thing. True beauty isn’t skin deep. Beauty is found in the depths of a person’s heart which always reflects on the outside. True beauty is loving, kind, caring, patient and more like these.

So my dear reader, don’t be limited by the world standards of beauty. There is more to you than just your appearance. You are precious, unique, wonderful and more than your wildest imagination.

I know sometimes it is hard to put your chin up, I have been there. I won’t promise an overnight transformation. But darling, you are more that capable to go through every single storm, through Christ.

Analyze the voices that you are listening to in your everyday life. As for me I choose to listen to God; my Father and Savior. He found me in my darkest of moments and refined me through the fires I passed through. In finding Him, I find myself. Whose voice will you let define your identity?

Today, I can face absolutely any storm and know that I will emerge victorious because I am living for my Creator. The next time you feel insecure, remind yourself you are a MASTERPIECE.