24 Sep Mirror, Mirror on the Wall by Kathy Cobb
Recently, I wrote about how unhealthy words spoken over me as a child really affected my sweet and gentle spirit. In those days, I did not understand that other people also carried bruised and broken hearts and were acting out their own hurts and insecurities. Even so, my whole being was wrapped up in those words. I can still remember standing in front of the bathroom mirror saying, “Mirror, mirror on the wall, who’s the fairest of them all?” and the words screaming back at me…. “NEVER YOU!!” In fact, for many years when I looked in the mirror I heard a voice scream back, “You look like an ugly toad, who would ever want you?” I went through many years of my life believing this ugly lie.
Many of my family and friends never knew that I was so insecure about my looks. I was very good at covering up my true feelings. You see, my chosen profession is cosmetology, and helping women enhance their beauty was and still is my passion! I love watching women express themselves through color, hairstyles and their style of fashion!
I learned in my field how to cover up my insecurities with glamour, and no one would find out the truth about the way I felt that I was an ugly duckling! Please understand that in no way am I devaluing makeup and glamour, believe me I’m not. I still love all the Glam!! What I was not aware of at the time was this thing called inner beauty; that applying makeup, no matter how well I did it, would never make me feel more beautiful. Some of you may be saying, didn’t you ever hear the statement, Beauty is only skin deep? Yes, but you see, my understanding at the time was EVERY part of my being was ugly, so those words were meant for other girls not me. Even so, I loved speaking positive, affirming words into others, but what my mind played over and over was, “You, Kathy, won’t be loved if your hair is too short; you have to look like a model to be wanted; keep silent because no one cares what you think; you won’t get anywhere in life; you are not smart enough.” Then the feminist movement hit my generation, the sexual revolution took off and more words were thrown at me, You don’t need a man; what marriage? – who needs that; having children will only hold you back from reaching your full potential in life; you need to watch out for number one. You mix all of this with a wounded heart and what you saw was a glamour girl on the outside, but behind closed doors a broken china doll! Have you ever felt this way?
As the years have gone by, I have met many women from all walks of life with different backgrounds but with similar stories. Some are still trapped in messages from long ago and, like me, are still seeking to find the beautiful woman within. You can only read so many self-help books, recite so many phrases, purchase so many new outfits before you come to the realization that all those things can still leave you empty. There seems to be this deep place in our spiritual DNA that keeps calling us to connect with the Beautiful woman within!
I love the definition of beautiful. Beautiful means the right time, place and pieces coming together.
In God, we were placed in our mother’s womb at just the right time; even the day of our birth was chosen as a perfect day. From the moment of our conception God spoke BEAUTIFUL over our DNA. As our little bodies were being formed into precious little girls, our Heavenly Father celebrated every part of our beauty! Then there is our spiritual DNA, the words spoken over us by God himself words like precious, lovely, promise, purpose, faith, peace, joy, kindness, gentleness, determination, steadfast. You are so unique, a masterpiece designed by the Creator himself!
It is time for you, as a woman, to look in the mirror and speak to the beauty within. You may be saying, but it’s hard for me to speak words of love to myself. I encourage you to start today and take one of the words above, look it up in the dictionary and in the Bible, read it out loud and let the words speak to your heart. If you feel resistance in your heart, talk to God; tell him your thoughts. He will begin the process of healing your heart and tenderly release you from the lies that have held you so long in captivity. I can still remember the day when I looked in the mirror and heard the word Beautiful the power of the lie was broken over me forever! And at that moment I began to connect with the beauty within and have never looked back! Will you take a chance and confront the woman in the mirror and dare to discover your true beauty? You are just one step away from celebrating the truly beautiful you!
I would love to hear from you! E-mail me at Kathy@gabbingirls.com
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