Women

Skin Deep

by Mary Elder-Criss 
09/09/16
For Sale
Author requests article critique

  Message Writer
  Hire Writer

Tweet

Skin Deep

By : Mary Elder Criss

 As a young woman, I was always thin. I ate what I wanted, with pretty much no need for strenuous exercise, and it made me a bit unpopular with older women who were fellow employees.  As they sat, gloomily picking at their salads in the lunch room, I wolfed down two burritos with everything, and invariably topped it off with a Snickers bar from the vending machine. This inevitably earned me more than my fair share of dirty looks.

Today, I am the older woman, picking at a salad, wishing it was a burrito, while I look at younger women with envy. Yet, although my pants size is considerably larger than it was 30 years ago, is that alone the measure of my true worth?

When people look at me, do they see right through me, as if I wasn’t there, or do they think, “She might still be pretty if she lost 50 or even 75 lbs.?”  Would that make me acceptable by society’s standards? When I dress up for church or a special occasion anymore, instead of being told I look pretty, is “You look nice” the best compliment I can hope to receive?

Thank God then, that although man looks at the outward appearance, God sees the heart. “But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the Lord does not see as man sees; [a] for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” 1 Samuel 16:7

I have let the extra pounds I carry define who I am as a person for far too long. I have felt unworthy, unappreciated, ashamed, unattractive and unconfident. I have constantly compared myself to others, and found nothing but flaws in who I am because of the way I appear. I have yoyo-ed in weight loss and gain, back and forth for 10—15 years, trying to get back to the person I once was…thinking if I could only lose this weight, then I would be happy. Yet, I am only now beginning to see that my outward appearance is not who I am. So what if I am not svelte and physically perfect?

The C-section scar I have that makes my stomach muscles less than a 6 pack bears testimony to the fact that I have had 3 children that I love more than life itself…the fact that my husband and I raised three caring and honest adults is by far, our greatest accomplishment in this world. Does the scar then, make me ugly?

The broken veins in my legs testify to hours spent on my feet, working to provide for my family. The wrinkles speak of hours laughing, or crying, as the case may be…enjoying time with my loved ones, or weeping over things that have pained them. My grey hair (although in vanity, I do still color it) is another testament to the years spent raising a family, and loving them.

If people took time to look past my physical appearance, which may be less than perfect according to today’s standards, what would they see? If they could put on their “God Vision” glasses, they would see a woman who sometimes struggles to do the right thing, but whose heart truly longs to please God. They would see a woman who loves fiercely, who fights for the people she loves, and who tries her hardest to make sure they all know how she feels.

They would see a sinner, but a sinner saved by the grace of God, and one who is persevering in a walk in a world that is cold and hard. They hopefully could look past the outward appearance, and see Jesus shine through.

Don’t let the mirror or magazines or people’s opinions define you. Whether you are a size 6 or a size 16, have long beautiful hair, with a flawless complexion, or no hair and wrinkles, you are still God’s masterpiece, created just by Him to be the person He chose you to be. He doesn’t see that “muffin top” or those broken veins. He sees the innermost being of who you are…whether you are 16 or 61, weigh 110 or 250.

He loves you just the way You are, and Christ died for you while you were still a sinner. How much more then, could He love you now if you are indeed His child? Perhaps an imperfect one by today’s standards, but a piece of poetry by His. True beauty is not measured by what we weigh, or our outward appearance, but by our souls.  As the saying goes, beauty is only skin deep, but thankfully in God’s eyes, we have more depth than that.

“The most beautiful people we have known are those who have known defeat, known suffering, known struggle, known loss, and have found their way out of the depths. These persons have an appreciation, a sensitivity, and an understanding of life that fills them with compassion, gentleness, and a deep loving concern. Beautiful people do not just happen.”

 ¯ Elisabeth Kübler-Ross