The Lady

I met the most beautiful lady yesterday. She truly was a child of God. I noticed when I met her that she had been badly burned. She wore a wig and sunglasses and long sleeves and pants to cover what she felt were her imperfections. When she spoke it was only kindess and mercy that flowed from her mouth. I had the courage to ask her what had happened. She explained to me that as an infant her older brother who was three had brought a stick in from outside and stuck it in the fireplace and caught the stick on fire. In his effort to either put the fire out or playing an imaginary game of cops and robbers caught her bassinett on fire. She clearly was badly burned and was very blessed to survive the experience. She endured tons of surgeries up until age 14. I asked her how her relationship was with her brother. She said wonderful! She loves her brother with all of her heart! She said he was just a child himself and she has never felt angry toward him. She said she has been married to the same man for 31 years! And he amazingly thinks she is beautiful just like she is. Without the wig, without the makeup that covers her scars. Without all of the glamourous things we feel make us beautiful. She said there are days she feels very self conscious. She told me about her children and their loving support. If only we could look at others in our lives with such forgiveness and such understanding. Including oursleves...if only we could see past what the world tells us about beauty and see what God has created us to be...beautiful, radiant and loving children of His kingdom. I saw God in this lady. I asked her if I could share this story and she kindly said yes. I cried as I listened to her speak about her love for her family. I hugged her and told her just how beautiful she was...and for once the opposite of what most would say....not just inside but outside she was wonderfully made. God planned each detail of her beauty to shine through for the world to see. I was so blessed by her and I hope you will be too.