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Previous Challenge Entry (Level 2 – Intermediate)
Topic: Beautiful (11/07/05)
Today was my day of rest and relaxation. After a scrumptious Sunday dinner, I decided to engage in something I haven’t done in quite some time: watch television. While flipping through the channels with my husbands’s good friend, “the remote control,” I stopped on the HGTV network. I saw one of the most amazing flowers that I’ve never seen before. This single flower was unusually huge and reminded me of the gargantuan plant featured in the movie “Little Shop of Horror.” This flower, Titan arum, is known to natives of the rainforest in central Sumatra in Indonesia as the corpse flower because it is extremely odiferous. The Titan arum is kin to calla lilies and philodendrons. Its peculiar odor is due to the flower being an ideal pollinator attracting two different insects. This beautiful ruby red lily only lasts three days and if it is successfully pollinated, will produce thousands of cherry-sized fruits creating more of these flowers.

As I watched spectators climb up on a ladder to take a whiff of this humungous flower, their facial expressions displayed repulsiveness of the scent it emitted. The outside is beautiful but the fragrance is offensive. It goes to show you that you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover. We need to take heed to the spiritual lessons from this flower by reflecting on the following verses:

1 Peter 3:3-4 Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight. (NIV)

Beauty is not only in the eyes, it is the beholder! True beauty comes from within. This inner beauty permeates externally, signifying love, joy and peace. You may be physically beautiful on the outside, but if your insides do not equate with your outer beauty, the outer beauty will eventually die and fade away. Think about what types of seeds you will sow. Will they be seeds that grow and multiply the beauty of God inwardly, as well as outwardly? Or will they be seeds that produce beauty on the outside, emitting a stench from within, like the Titan arum?
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Member Comments
Member
Date
Rachel Burkum
11/14/05
Well-said. Recently, I've done a lot of thinking and writing on not judging by appearance. Lately it became sort of a personal issue with me for several reasons, so your piece really hit home with me. Thank you for sharing and reminding that true beauty comes from the inside.
DaNine K. Ward
11/18/05
Very clear and to the point. Thank you.