Do you see what I see?

Do you see what I see? This was the question God placed on my heart recently. Several weeks ago I was struggling with many different health issues as the result of my battle with Lyme disease. I found myself in a weakened state with a poor self image. I felt stiff, sore and slow with every movement. To top it off, I was also dealing with an allergic reaction from my skin care products where I was forced to go Au natural. Honestly I felt Old and warn Out! I didn’t look or feel beautiful or vibrant and it was effecting my emotions. There was one morning in particular where I woke up feeling terrible, worse than usual. My head was pounding due to the inflammation, my body was weak and my joints were sore. I experienced an unusual form of eye pain that resulted in excessive tearing and puffy eyes. For all these reasons I was slightly, and I use that word loosely, irritable. After storming around grumpily and arguing with everyone, especially my husband, I broke down and cried… And cried…And then cried some more! I was frustrated and had reached my bottom. As a woman of faith, I went to the one who I knew could help, God! I prayed with my eyes tightly shut, and I asked God to show me what He sees when He looks at me. I figured my perception was wrong and weak, and I hoped He would show me that I was beautiful and vibrant. It was then that God placed this question on my heart, “Do you see what I see?” As I prayed, I held on to my faith in His goodness and faithfulness. I didn’t want to feel bad about myself anymore and I knew He would answer my prayers with truth. I was hoping the truth would reveal a youthful and flawless face when I looked in the mirror? As I opened my eyes and focused on my image, I found myself lost in that moment. I saw my reflection and it wasn’t what I expected! As I stood there completely focused on my face, God revealed everything to me. I saw my face changing, but not for the better. It was as if I was aging quicker and my face was melting away. Knowing our God is good, I was confused, because He was suppose to show me Beautiful! After what felt like forever, God pulled me through a small sparkle within my eye. In that moment, He revealed what He saw when He looked at me. He showed me that beauty is fleeting and that my face was changing and will continue to age. Then, He showed me what he sees and it was awesome. He saw my heart! He saw the beauty that He created and that He continues to create within me. His beauty is eternal without limits. A beauty that is set apart for His glory. At this moment, I was filled with a overwhelming feeling of love, contentment and peace. For me, being able to recognize the beauty of God that lies within me is what allows His light to shine. The great news is that the gift and beauty of Jesus is available to everyone. He has changed my heart and my life in so many ways. I have come to trust Gods perspective, after all He is the creator. He created us for beauty and glory that we will not see fully in this world, but we will one day, and for eternity. “And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.” 2 Corinthians 3:18. I have not discovered the fountain of youth or a product that takes away all that ales me, but I found the beauty within, and that has made all the difference. So my question to you is, “Do you see what I see?”