beautiful are the girls....part 2

Last night I was thinking about the last post that I offered on the beauty of girls. While thinking about this I thought about how I compared beautiful girls to awesome mountains and wild flowers. And it dawned on me that there is so much more that I was not addressing. So I will attempt to continue those thoughts which were started in the post just below this one.

What I thought about last night was the fact that the imperfect beauty of this world, points us to the perfect beauty of God. Just as the love we receive from friends and family is just a foretaste of the complete love of God, so too is the beauty of those around us. The physical beauty I see in the girl that is sitting to my left at this moment, is just a fraction of the beauty of the face of God. I smile at the sight of beautiful girls, but I will joyfully weep at the beauty of the Lord.

And physical beauty seems to be less of a reflection of the beauty of God than a beautiful character. This reminds me of one of my Common Grounds friends (Beth). You can hear her beauty enter the room before she does. Her character and personality are striking. She always has a good word and a smile for everyone she knows. She is one of those girls that would never have to tell anyone about Christ. It is evident that something different is in her life as soon as you meet her.

This kind of beauty seems to be a clearer reflection of the beauty of God. I am often awe-struck by the physical beauty that I see. Its like a lightening bolt that hits me unexpectedly. But it is a different feeling when I interact with a person of beautiful character. Its less like lightening and more like the warmth of the sun. You probably have experienced this. Someone of beautiful character lights up a room in an instant and then their presence slowly warms the room. When you speak with a person such as this, they warm up your whole day just with their smile and grace.

This warmth is a foretaste of the warmth to come. It is a sign of the Kingdom. God's beauty is all around pointing the way to Christ. Physical beauty, like a masterful painting, brings delight to the eyes. But character beauty, like an enveloping hug, brings delight to the heart. The former has the power to transform the aesthetics of one's environment. The latter has the power to transform the attitude of one's day and, possibly, one's life.