“Be beautiful in your heart, with the lasting charm of a
gentle spirit." ~ I Peter 3:4
Laney sank into the recliner, feeling
its soft leather mold around her as she prepared for the long day ahead. She let her head roll back and eyes pull to a
close. Her feet dangled over the edge
just like they had when she was small.
Just the slightest nudge from her imagination and she soared
amongst the clouds, off down a path of distant memories. Her first semester in Kearney had her feeling
depressed, alone, and isolated.
She missed her Appalachian Mountains back home. Laney loved walking in their forests of Maple,
Oak, and Hickory trees. She loved how
the leaves turned a thousand shades of green in the Spring and then became a
sea of red, gold, and orange in the Fall. The sweet smell of clover and wild flowers shot
through her like adrenaline right to her soul.
Nebraska was flat. The
grass looked burnt. All she could smell was
a mixture of corn, mud, and cattle. How
she had longed of being home again … until she saw her first Prairie Sunset.
She watched the sunset at the
horizon, spreading its largess into a grateful sky. Rich hues of gold, red, orange and purple
flowed together in a picture painted by Heaven's own hand. It took her breath away; filled with a distinct
oneness with God. All the loneliness, insecurity,
hurt – gone!
She’d been foolish and judgmental. The vast prairie had its own special
beauty. It too was a part of God's
Creation. Laney took a moment to imagine
what God was whispering about her current situation as her faith stirred again.
She readjusted her position now
in the infusion chair. Today marked her 4th
chemo treatment. Her hair had fallen out
weeks ago. People tried reassuring her
that she’s still beautiful. But as a
product of western culture and custom, Laney wished she could believe
them. Every time she looked in a mirror,
her appearance reminded her of all that’d happened since her diagnosis.
Most disturbing was that hair loss unmasked her as a cancer
patient. With pitying eyes, total
strangers would ask what kind of cancer she had, how treatment was going, and
how much time she had left.
Suddenly, God’s message crystalized. Physical attractiveness has no relation to
goodness, character, or godliness.
Like nature’s infinite wonders, each of us has special
beauty as well. We each have unique
talents, abilities, and dreams. Each of
us has a powerful love, a vibrancy, that only we can share. And God wants us to share it.
May you always do so then. May your life always shine bright. And may love radiate from your soul like a
sunset on the Prairie.
Dear Lord, thank you for creating me in Your
image. Please help me to embrace even my
flaws, and imperfections too. Forgive me
for the times I spent too much time complaining about my physical appearance
and changing what you created. Amen
