“You are altogether beautiful, my love; there is no flaw in you.” — Song of Solomon 4:7
I went to a wedding with two close friends. Once at the church, another friend took our photo. Even though I felt confident in my sparkly dress (I know! Almost never happens!)—I critiqued the way my arms looked in the photo.
My friend replied: “Wow. I’m so sorry. It must take up so much energy to constantly be so critical of yourself. You are beautiful.”
I hadn’t realized it, but I do this a lot when I see photos of myself. And I do know better but sometimes my mouth moves faster than my brain. I have to change my thinking. Maybe we all do. What if our first thought was automatically something positive?
We are loved by God and called beautiful. So when we encounter our neighbor or view ourselves in the mirror or in an Instagram photo—let’s remember that our first thoughts and words can be about love.
This message is excerpted from “You are altogether beautiful” by Elizabeth McBride from the February 10, 2020, blog of the Women of the ELCA.
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