I know what you’re thinking…here’s your typical, white-girl Christian title about how God is my husband and that I’m an independent woman who “don’t need no man” to show me my worth. Well, yes and no.
As I was talking with a squadmate of mine last month, she began to comment on the growth she could see God doing in my heart and life. But she stopped herself and said, “I’m not going to say anything else because I know that He wants to show you what He likes about you more.”
That struck something within me.
These past few weeks, one of my greatest, shorthaired fears came true. Someone in Romania asked whether or not I was a woman. This happened three times throughout our time there. *Feel free to cringe alongside me*
In my defense, the “missionary look” is not extremely flattering or complementary of my womanly features. And culturally, there are very few women (if any at all) in small-town Romania with short hair. The quickest way to distinguish a woman from a man is to look at their hair. I really do understand the misunderstanding, but to be confused at the core of who you are does not quickly leave you. It stings.
After three consecutive moments of having my womanhood questioned, I went to God and asked what in the world He was trying to show me. It seemed as if God said, “Just wait, you’ll see.”
A few days later, I sit down to dinner with a woman I had very little interaction with throughout our time in Romania. She looks straight at me, with a table full of other racers, and says, “You are so beautiful.” And for a moment, I was really confused and my mind started rolling, “Why would she say that? Am I wearing makeup? Did I dress up today?” But it was just normal me.
And here came the next lesson that God was trying to teach me –my womanhood and beauty is not wrapped up in the external. Being raised in superficial America, with an impossible standard of beauty, this runs completely against my nature.
As the Bible says, femininity is not wrapped up in ones hair or dress. “Do not let your adorning be external—the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear—but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God’s sight is very precious” (1 Pet. 3:3-4).
Jesus wants to show us exactly what He likes about us. It shouldn’t be necessary for others to tell us our worth and beauty because most of the time, they judge by outward appearances and they can be way off. But sometimes, just sometimes…someone can be sent right on time, from a good God who knows exactly what you need to hear.
