We have often been told that our eyes are a reflection of the soul. That our facial expressions can mirror our thoughts, and our body language reflects an inner story. People can be easy to read, or they can be exceptional poker players and live a façade that disguises their inner life.
Yesterday I had my first “speaking engagement”! This is a huge milestone for me. I have never told my story or spoken at an event in this way before. On every mission trip it was the “unmarried” who remained silent and never told their story. If I may step out here – all too often single women are seen as having nothing to say, no life experience to speak about. Just for the record – that isn’t the truth at all. Okay, now that I have said that and put it out there, I will move on.
When invited to speak my first reaction was to say no but as I took it to my Divine Maestro I knew that I had to say yes, not knowing why. I was asked to talk about woman of life and women of beauty and how my testimony fit into that. Subjects I acknowledge difficulty in accepting from the Divine. Esther was the biblical woman and for 4 days I could see no common ground between Esther and myself. Chatting with a friend on Friday morning and hearing her thoughts on my journey opened the windows and there, finally, I saw what we had in common:
1 – beauty is a process not for men but for the King
2 – finding our voice “for such a time as this”
3 – being women who give life through the way we love life
As I was speaking I was watching the faces of the women in the room. Their faces became mirrors to their hearts, reflecting their own stories. Their faces were not reflecting my story – they were acknowledging their own. The body language of the women in the room showed their inner life – I could see this from where I stood. Tears fell from their eyes as they acknowledged their struggles for beauty, to find their voice and the desire to be life givers. Oh there is so much more beneath the surface and we all long for someone to know our story, to hear our hearts and to feel safe in the telling of our story and to be found beautiful.
Jesus told stories or parables in His three years of ministry work on earth. He told stories that reflected the lives of those He talked to and with. The difference with Jesus was that He already knew their heart, He was just holding up a verbal mirror to them. The stories He told simply let them see their own reflection, if they were willing to look. The woman at the well felt safe to look at her story, her heart. The woman who touched the hem of Jesus garment found her voice to acknowledge her story and to find freedom. The prostitute at Jesus feet felt safe to let her tears fall, but then looked into His eyes to find what love really was. So many more – just look at each one and you will find all these threads
As we look at the reflection of the heart there will also be a reflection of the Divine. We are created in His image. Yes I saw my Divine Maestro reflected in these women. Women in the processes of being beautified, finding their voices and being givers of life. Women, beauty and life – part of the feminine of God’s heart. Part of the heart of the Divine that displays passion for life.
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