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Renee Swope

Encouraging and equipping moms to parent with God's grace and confidence.

Read An Excerpt: Chapter 1 & 2

What do you see?

What do you see when you look in the mirror? Do you notice something beautiful about the woman who glances back at you? Or is it hard to see past what you focus on as flaws?

I’ve been challenged by these thoughts lately. When I look in the mirror, my eyes tend to immediately notice what I don’t like… wrinkles, dark circles under my eyes, that bump on my chin, freckles, cellulite.

The other day I watched Aster looking at herself in the mirror. I couldn’t help but notice how much she delights in what she sees.

She smiles at the girl who looks back at her. And she even blows herself kisses.

I have a feeling she tells herself how pretty she looks in baby babble. I can’t understand it, but her smile says it all .


I remember feeling pretty when I was a little girl. Memories of dressing up flood my mind as I look at Aster. Pretending I was a princess about to become a bride, I can almost smell the azaleas I’d gather to make my wedding bouquet. I’d walk down the aisle of my dad’s long driveway lined with magnolia trees. And of course, my imaginary prince charming was waiting for me on the porch. I’m not sure he used words in my fairy tale, but I knew that he thought I was beautiful. His smile said it all.

Is it possible to return to that place? To be like the little girl who believed she was a beautiful princess?

If we allow God’s thoughts to replace ours, I think it is. For in the truest part of our being, that is who we really are!

The king is enthralled by your beauty; honor Him, for He is your lord. You are His masterpiece. How precious are His thoughts about You. They cannot be numbered! You can’t even count them; they outnumber the grains of sand! And when you wake up, He is still with you, thinking about you and delighting in you every minute of the day!Psalm 45:11 (NIV), Ephesians 2:10a, Psalm 139:17-18 (NLT)

Lord, please erase words that have been spoken and lies that have been believed that have kept us from seeing ourselves as beautiful. Remind us today that we are Your inheritance. A crown of splendor, a royal diadem, true beauty in the hand of our God.

I pray you would remove our fault-finding tendencies and anything that has scribbled something ugly over the beauty You created in us. Replace self-condemnation with Your thoughts towards us. Show us the very things You hand-made in each of us to be beautiful – the color of our eyes, the tone of our skin, the shape of our lips, the gentleness of our smile, the length of our necks and other traits that are uniquely ours.

Father, I want to see what you see. Will You stand here with me, revealing true beauty that’s woven into the woman who looks back each day when I look in the mirror.

Comments

  1. As comments are still left weeks after I wrote this post, I continue to pray for each of you. That you will hear God whispers of "beautiful words" over you from head to toe. He's enthralled with your beauty that radiates from the inside out. He sees you, He loves you, He can't take His eyes off you.

  2. Tears are streaming as I read todays blog.My head tells me God sees me as beautiful but the mirror tells me a different story. Years of smoking, a birth defect, the sad and frowning child I was and the lisp and stuttering that have taken a toll on my face. And yes, the sun! Thank you for the encouragement as the wounds of the past heal and I continue to journey with God.

  4. Oh, Renee. You don't know how much this blessed my soul this morning. I was looking in the mirror last night and was so upset with the image that stared back at me. I have allowed myself to gain several pounds in the last three years. The image that stared back said"You are too far gone, to get those pound off". That was really upsetting and depressing to me. Then I log on this morning and I see Aster smiling at herself. And I read the words you wrote and I say, "Thank, you daddy" for sending someone to tell me that you love "ME".

  5. I have also had to remind myself that I am just the way God wanted me to be! I gained weight, read Lysa's book (soon to be published), used it to change my eating habits and began a walking exercise program. This was a health change for me. a plan to get off of some medications I've been on for years! All the time, I look in the mirror and assure myself God made me to be the way I am. I have not reached my goal, but I know with a positive attitude and God's reassurance I can. Love the pictures of Aster and Love you sweet friend!

  6. Want a joke? Only this morning after dressing for work I looked in the mirror and told myself how beautiful I am; just because God made me the way I am. Amazing. Thanks!

  7. I didn't know I needed this, but I did. I don't really remember having a version of Aster in myself, but I think it has been there 🙂

  8. Renee I love your post today..will be nice if we see us in the mirror as Aster see herself today. Beutiful pictures!!

  9. That makes me wanna go out and get a tutu and wear it out today!! Loved this post!!

  11. I needed to here that God made me beautiful. After having two children by c-section and being widowed as a 29 year old young women I have not felt or looked at myself as you described the little girl doing in the mirror.I look and then turn as quickly as I can before I see those things I don't like to see. I long to feel and to see myself as beautiful again like the little girl,she delights in who the maker made her to be and I believe God wants us to delight in the creation he has made within us and outside…..

  13. Renee,
    What a wonderful just in time precisely for me today blog. Thank you. Last night as I was picking out my wardrobe for work today I became extremely frustrated with dress pants that were too tight and tops that were not long enough. As I got into bed I realized thanks to my handsome husband bringing my attention to myself as he said, "Well lets just get down on ourselves why don't we." my frustration was not just thoughts but I was verbally complaining like crazy about not fitting into a new pair of dress pants and as I like to say "having NOTHING to wear to work". What a wonderful perspective you have blessed me with today. Have a wonderful Thursday.

  14. AMEN! If more women could just grasp this and let it settle in their hearts, they would be so much happier. We would probably take better care of this tent we've been placed in.

  15. What's not to love about that beautiful girl! Oh my. She is a cutie.

    But I love this post as well. My sweet husband says I get prettier each year, but I know I have "peaked" and am going down hill from here. haha. 🙂

    Thankfully God looks at the heart.

  17. Reading your post and seeing that beautiful little girl so thrilled by her own reflection has put a huge smile on my face this morning. Thank you for your message and for sharing your precious pink princess with us!

    Love you both!
    LeAnn

  19. Oh how I long to see what Aster sees when she looks in the mirror! She is a precious, beautiful little girl!

    I barely remember that version of myself. It would be a dream come true to find her again.

  21. Oh I was just looking in the mirror at my wrinkles and wondering where that younger version of me has gone.

    Loved this post.

    And I love that precious tutu wearing girl!