Beauty is in the eye of the Father

I always liked the phrase "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder." How true it is. I can look at a picture I've just taken and think "Man, I really messed up the (insert technical detail)," but the guy next to me can see "Whoa, that looks awesome!" Indeed, we all get our own creative angle, eye for style, whatever you want to call it, and we see things a certain way.

But too often in culture, beauty is given a stereotype: what is directly pleasing to us on the outside, what has the best looks,that's what our culture has defined beauty as. Too many girls I see on Facebook or in the mall are trying to fit the mold and/or conform to it, just to get the Likes, glances, compliments, etc. We want to feel wanted, important, or loved, which is legit.

But at the same time, its heartbreaking to think about it. A movie, play or book may be worthy of the highest accolades, but if it doesn't have the best marketing, production, or "big business names," it can be passed over. In the same way, people can be discredited by some earthly standard, of not having the latest I-phone, Mustang, or Aeropostale Sweatshirt.

But as so many Christian Artists have said in their music and ministry, we're not beautiful because the world says we are, but because the Father does. He didn't put his beloved son through all the pain of crucifixion just to say "I kind of care about you," but because we are his beautiful children, fearfully and wonderfully made.

Good Friday was easily the most strenuous day of Holy Week for me. The morning was filled with helping mom ad dad clean the house, and then there would be the 3 o'clock Good Friday service at church, which would probably last an hour. By the end of the service (which I was serving in) I was tired and hungry, since I hadn't eaten since 11 in the morning. After that was an outdoor procession where we walked around the neighborhood my church is located in, with a man dressed as Jesus carrying a cross. The purpose is to meditate on the Passion and have a living, breathing reenactment of it right in front of you. As we walked along my legs felt hollow and shaky, and I honestly felt like I was going to collapse. This was while I was in comfortable (but formal) clothes, had eaten only about 4 or 5 hours ago and had good supportive shoe,s and could walk along at a steady pace. Then I thought of how Jesus must have felt as he walked along. He probably hadn't eaten in almost a day. To top it off, he only had crummy leather sandals to support his feet, and he was in a coarse robe that stuck to his many wounds. All this while carrying a 200 pound wooden cross with a crown of thorns in his head. All I can think was this: If I feel sort of shaky, but I'm trying to be a trooper along with my other brothers and sister in Christ going along too, how much greater Jesus' love for us, as he took all of the pain for us and without one bit of complaining or getting angry.

And hence, this week we are going to bring out a new child of the week, one who is both beautiful in her Father's eyes, and in the eyes of the S4TS team:

                                                                     Brigita!

To me, people with Down syndrome (and in Brigita's case, FAS as well,) are a prime example of people that are beautiful inside and out, because they are just so open to love and take great joy in the things they love to do! Let's pray this week that Brigita finds her family, and keep our children of yesterweek, Shawna and Lindsay, in our prayers too.

As a nice little side note, I would also like to add that Miss Eva Noel Hook is home with her family FOREVER! I am so excited for them, and I can't wait to see them grow as a family! I will be updating everything (Our Orphna Loves, Charities, Donations, and a new Graduates page) throughtout theweek. In the mean time, pray for Brigita!

Christ has Risen indeed, alleluia!