Pretty People, Pretty Lives

In college some of us used to joke about the "beautiful people."   These were the people who were called up when it was time for the college to shoot some pictures for the new catalogue and other promotional material.  The college obviously wanted to put an attractive face on the college, so the attractive faces got called up.  I never got called up.  Worked too, the college is still open.  :D   I'm not impugning the character of the so called beautiful people.  Most were and are good friends of mine who also happened to be more attractive than me.  I wouldn't have put me on the brochure either!  :)

I am not a pretty person, and I don't have a "pretty" life. I'm not expressing disatisfaction, just the facts. I have been deeply blessed and I am very thankful for my life and my family. Its just not all pretty and perfect. I have four children. We are working on teaching them to obey, to love God, to contribute and serve. Some days it works better than others. Some days I teach it better than others. Some days I do a poor job. Some days I can be grumpy, or impatient, or lazy. We struggle with clutter. Some people's houses look like museums, ours like the storage room.

You know what else, everyone I know has some issues with not being pretty too.  Oh, I have many Christian brothers and sisters who do not share my flaws.  They are more consistent in the areas I struggle with.  They don't even know what clutter really is.  BUT, they have different spots that aren't pretty.  Getting to truly know the bunch of Christians who I have grown close to at Bean's Corner, I can say there isn't a real pretty one in the bunch.  Everywhere I look there are blemishes, scars, unkempt spots.

That's because we're not there yet.  And I celebrate a church that doesn't require people to be pretty.  There are some churches where everyone is supposed to look pretty.  Since no one can really do it, its all about make up and plastic surgery, to hide the personal flaws and failings that we all have.  I've known churches where the big sin is not to have sin, but to let it show.

The problem with this is that you don't deal with sin, or weakness, or simple flaws, you just hide them.  I'm glad that I don't have to be pretty.  I am honestly working on cleaning and growing and maturing in the areas that need work, but they are there to see.  I am who I am.  I am not a pretty person with a pretty life.  I am a real person with a real life.  The only beauty in my life comes from the amazing blessings that Christ, in His mercy, showers on me and my family.  The only things worth admiring in my life and my family are the things that God has built as we have learned to follow Him.

Look at Jesus on the cross.  It's not pretty.  But it is glory!