I attended IJM’s benefit dinner this year and Ginny Owen’s performance of her song “Call Me Beautiful” warmed my heart. Stunning photographs of IJM’s clients were juxtaposed with her voice and keyboard. I was touched not only by His love for me – that He likes me, He really likes me (to adapt Sally Field’s words) – but His love for all the precious children, women, and men whose faces flashed before me.
This song makes me marvel at His beauty – that He would endow me with some of it and allow me to reflect it, too. It also seems to capture all too well the mindset I enter this journey with, so I’ve italicized those specific lyrics. It amazes me to think that though my teammates and I have yet to set foot overseas for this journey – wait, we haven’t even met (I’ve barely contacted a few)! – the story is unfolding into something lovelier than we could ever imagine. . .
I’ve been waiting for a hero who’s brave and strong,
someone to love me, someone to tell me I belong.
So I pretend I’m satisfied, and I stand watching on the sidelines
’til You pull me into the light and say, “It’s your turn now, welcome to your life!”
And You call me beautiful, say You’ve loved me all along,
and You’ve always held the keys to unlock my soul.
You call me beautiful.
There’s a smile on my face and a brand new light in my eyes,
it’s a new day, and I’ve never felt so alive,
I feel as if I could conquer anything, that’s what Your love has done for me,
and now all I want to be is everything You want me to be.
Oh, You call me beautiful, say You’ve loved me all along,
and You’ve always held the keys to unlock my soul, but I didn’t know —
Now I can finally start to live, take those chances I have missed.
Things will be much different now that I know You call me beautiful.
The story is better than I could dream after all, now this is reality
to know You, to hear You call me beautiful. . .
