One day in the fall of 2008 I met a man in a Wendy's restaurant and it was a life changing experience. Our family could not decide where to eat so we pulled in to Wendy's and it seemed okay for everyone. We ordered our food and Claire and I sat down. While my parents we're waiting for it to be picked up, a man with a Southern accent walked up to them. He was alone. My parents could just tell that this man loved Jesus, and they came back and asked if it would be okay if we asked him to join us for dinner. Of course it was. And this was a Jesus thing.
He sat down and half way through the dinner he looked at me and said "Young lady, the Lord has a message that He wants you to know: Don't settle for any man because He has the perfect man for you and also... you will be in ministry and your hands will heal and you will touch thousands of people."
I knew that I had been called into the ministry. It had happened at camp when I was 11 or 12. I wouldn’t realize until August 2011 that this was conformation that I needed to be in ministry.
"Am I Beautiful?" she asked.
"Of course you are," he said.
"What makes me beautiful?"
He did not say anything for a while.
For years society has put a standard and a price on beauty. Girls and women in this day and age will do anything to achieve the "perfect body." But newsflash: the so called "perfect body" doesn't exist. Beauty is so much more than the outside. It really comes from what is inside. Sure you can buy the latest make up from Covergirl or where the latest styles from Vouge. But all that will one day fade. It is truly what is inside that counts. Is it beautiful when a 15 year old girl is starving herself or throwing up to look like the airbrush model in a fashion magazine? Is it beautiful when a 30 year old woman is having needles and knifes and tubes hooked up to her body to suck out some extra fat or fix the unique quirk on her noes? Is it really beautiful when a girl will let a guy take advantage of her so she can feel hot or sexy?
No! Its actually pretty disgusting. And yet society sees all these things as acceptable.
The truth is, we have all wished that we could have a different size body. Or that we could be doing the catwalk next to Tyra Banks or have the "perfect" body profile like Paris Hilton or Jessica Simpson. But how many of us have ever wanted the inner (and outer) beauty that shines through in Mandisa or Queen Latifa?
So here is the open and honest truth. Everyone is made differently and we are all unique. We all have different body sizes, different height and different weights. Regardless of what society has drilled in to our minds. As long as you are happy and healthy in your skin...it doesn't matter what size you are. This was something that I have struggled with my whole life. Until I realized that I can’t change who I am! God is really working on my heart to see that this is who he has created me to be!
Way deep down every person knows that being a different size than everyone else is beautiful. So why then are we still obsessing over how much we weigh (or how much we don't weigh)? Why do we want to look like a Barbie Doll? And why are so many people afraid to come out and say: I AM BEAUTIFUL?! We are fearful. Fearful about what people will say. Maybe it our past hurts. Maybe you were called the fat girl, or you were made fun of for the size of your ears or even your height. Why are we so afraid to give it up? Because it has defined us! But it doesn't have to any longer! I am here to tell you that no matter what that scale says, or what you are seeing in the mirror, you are absolutely beautiful!! And that beauty truly comes from the inside! Don't let how you look determine how you live your life because I can guarantee that you will be absolutely miserable!! So let that amazing personality shine, breakout of your shell. Quit trying to hide it. Accept yourself for the way you are. Let go of the past hurts and insults and live YOUR life. Let your beautiful inside reflect your beautiful outside.
Because guess what:
YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL!
~Charlotte Walterhouse
"You are beautiful because your inside shines out." He said.
And she was happy.
<3 Lola
