Like most young girls, my two daughters love anything fit for a princess. They skip around in fancy costume dresses and love to cover themselves in their grandmother’s jewelry when we visit!

I have always tried to point out their inward characteristics along with the physical attributes that make them beautiful. They hear daily how amazing God’s creation is and are reminded that they are His favorite part!

My oldest found it fascinating that God took dust and created her from it. She asks me all the time how he made eyes from dust or how our hair got so soft out of dust.  I tell her that I can’t answer that, but it is proof of how amazing our God is, how powerful He is and how much he loves her.  He looked at what He made and “It was good!”

Then God looked over all he had made, and he saw that it was very good!

Genesis 1:31 NLT

A couple of weeks ago we took a short trip to Texas.  It was our second trip in less than two weeks and I was not looking forward to the drive. I was around 6 weeks pregnant, feeling bloated and nauseous.  My hair was pulled back in a ponytail, grey roots starting to show and makeup had not touched my face in days. For our trip I had chosen my favorite comfy pants and t shirt due to my growing stomach. Quite honestly, I didn’t even want to look in the mirror because I knew there was nothing much to be seen there!

As we began to pull into our destination, just less than a mile away, I hear these sweet words,

“Momma, you look so beautiful today!”

SERIOUSLY?  Was my first thought! I began to open my mouth and let out words such as “Oh hunny, mommy looks awful today! I didn’t do my hair, I am not wearing makeup, I feel like throwing up and I just want to go back to bed!”

Then I look back the most beautifully innocent little faces. Faces with wonder and curiosity of what this world held for them. Faces full of joy and contentment. Real, true beautiful faces. In that moment I was brought back to the truth from my Father. I am beautiful. No matter how I feel or what I am wearing all He sees is His most beautiful creation.

My reply back to my girls came straight from my heart.  I thanked them for their encouraging and kind words and told them they were right. I told them about how even though I didn’t FEEL beautiful or pretty at that moment, I knew God made me to be a beautiful woman and that He gave me the two of them to remind me of that every day.

I went on to remind them (all the while reminding myself) that true beauty isn’t about what we look like on the outside. We don’t have to have our hair just right or our makeup on to have a beautiful heart. We can be gorgeous on the outside when we allow God to fill our hearts up with his joy. We can literally shine when we smile because of His love inside of us.

Charm is deceptive, and beauty does not last;
    but a woman who fears the Lord will be greatly praised.  

Proverbs 31:30 NLT

Easily, this conversation could have gone so much differently as I am sure it has in times past when I didn’t even realize. I could have laughed and dismissed the compliment but what is that saying to them? How can they learn to see their beauty when the one they look up to most, the woman I truly believe they think is the most beautiful of them all (for right now at least!) doesn’t believe it about herself?

One day, the acne may come on their soft little faces, the weight will start to fluctuate, the hair will change and their insecurities will grow. I have to teach them right now, at this most vulnerable age that they are a treasure. They are a gift and they are a most rare and beautiful creation. I pray they hold this in their hearts and they carry the belief with them forever.

May they one day look back and know how beautiful their mother was because, and ONLY because of who God formed and molded her to be and that I believed deep in my heart that I was a treasure. You see, daughters become their mothers in more ways than we would like . May they always be beautiful…like their mother!

[bctt tweet=”Daughters become their mothers. So be beautiful today! #lovemom”]