More Than Meets the Eye

"Beauty is only skin deep" - My mother, but I think someone else said it before her.

"It's tough being a woman where beauty is a treatment" - Beth Moore, Esther

"Charm can mislead and beauty soon fades. The woman to be admired and praised is the woman who lives in the Fear-of-God. Give her everything she deserves! Festoon her life with praises!" -Proverbs 31:30 The Message

Compliments are nice. They are an affirmation that what we've said or done or are has been noticed and appreciated by another. I received one the other day. "You always dress so nice--and look so put together"a nice person said to me (obviously it was not while I was at home frittering away the day in my jammies or sweats with no make-up and no visible sign of hair products). "Thanks." I replied. I accepted her compliment but lingered over its undertones for a while.

Perhaps the lessons of Esther are still wrapping around my head and heart but I wondered, "is that how I want to be known-- by the way I appear on the outside?" Now this person doesn't know me well and it is quite a natural human tendency to notice--or even judge-- another person by their appearance.

Case in point, there's been quite a stir over Susan Boyle, a contestant in the British version of American Idol--Britian's Got Talent. By all appearances, it seemed that her turn to appear before the judges was a farce or comic relief. You know how they do that on American Idol by sending through less talented (or no talent) people over real singers because some people watch just for the William Hung-like acts to air. Anyway, back to Susan Boyle-- when she started to sing, her talent soon over-shadowed her appearance (older and frumpy). Those who were present in that auditorium (and the 47 million who have since watched her on You Tube) were amazed by her talent and the beauty of her gift. She was noticed for her voice and not her face.

That's what I want. While I appreciated the compliment, what I really want is to be known for are inner qualities that speak louder than my appearance:

I want to be known as--

... an excellent wife, highly favored by my husband

... a loyal and faithful friend

... a wise woman passing that knowledge and wisdom on to another generation

... a good and faithful servant of the Lord Most High and someone that has lived my life making an impact both in this lifetime and in the one to come.

So what do you want to be known for?