Am I Lovely?

I've started reading "Captivating" by John & Stasi Eldredge (again), and am only three chapters into it but it's already stirring up in me so many thoughts, emotions, and revelations.

It all starts with a question that girls/women everywhere ask (whether out loud or internally): "Am I lovely?" Little girls ask their Daddy's, "Do I look pretty?" as they twirl in their pink froofy dresses; teenage girls ask their crush "Do you think I'm hot?"; and women ask their boyfriends and husbands, "Am I lovely? Do I captivate you?" Perhaps these questions come often times in non-verbal forms. Instead of asking your man straight out if he thinks you are captivating, you watch his every reaction as you step out of the bathroom in your brand new dress, hair and make-up done, and see if his face says, "WOW. I can't look away!" We, as women, long to be desired, and long to captivate the men in our lives. The problem is that we often allow that desire take over what we have to OFFER. The authors put it best when they say, "There is a radiance hidden in your heart that the world desperately needs" (p.42). Don't let the desire to be captivating overtake the radiance in your heart!

For any men who are reading this, it is important to note that even women whom you would never guess would ask the question, "Am I lovely?" still do wonder from time to time. That may be hard even for other women to understand. We so readily compare ourselves to each other, to women in movies/tv/magazines, and to strangers on the street. We think things like, "How could SHE ever wonder if she's pretty? Look at her! She has perfect long legs, and mine are short and stumpy!" We take whatever we don't have (and perhaps want) and justify the idea that that person couldn't possibly have insecurities, and must just be looking for attention. Can I caution you against the trap of comparison? We are all DIFFERENT. We all look different, speak different, desire different things, have different dreams, and ultimately have different fears and insecurities.

So what's the answer to the question, "Am I lovely?" The answer comes not from the people around us, or even from ourselves. No... The answer comes from God. He is the One who determines our worth, our value, and our "loveliness!" When we are searching for those answers from the men or other people in our lives, we lose sight of the main thing. Because people will fail us. They will say one thing and do another. They will make us doubt their sincerity, trust will be broken, and ultimately that question will remain unanswered and leave us feeling inadequate. But when we run to our Heavenly Father and do a twirl in front of His Throne, He will answer, "Yes, my daughter. You are lovely. I have crowned you with glory and honour" (Psalm 8:5). For our worth comes from Him. We have been "fearfully and wonderfully made" (Psalm 134:14) in His image (Genesis 1:27).