I Am Beautiful {A Poem}

Thanks to Laura over at Catholic Cravings for this AWESOME idea.  She wrote a poem this week for our Beauty post and encouraged us to do it, as well.  I am rewarding myself with a little blogging after cleaning the heck out of my bathroom.  If you had to clean what I just cleaned, you would be rewarding yourself, too.

I Am Beautiful

I am beautiful.

I am beautiful because I am made in the image of God who knows the desires of my heart. I am beautiful inside and out, for He didn't just make my soul but my body, too. All of me, body and soul, in His image.

I am beautiful because my smile is wide and joyful, my eyes are bright and changing: just as I hope to be joyful and bright!

And because I can wiggle my ears. :)

I was beautiful when I would hide in my room and put every single piece of play jewelry on that I owned.

I am beautiful because my face is full of pimples and scars and my stomach seems to just loooove holding on to a little extra fat.

I am beautiful like a perfect cup of coffee in Paray-le-Monial (an amazing, quaint little town in France) on a late Spring day.

I am beautiful when I smile.

I am beautiful when I receive Holy Communion and while praising/worshipping Him in Adoration.  I am beautiful when I laugh and when I mourn, and when I pray the Hail Mary, whispering "blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus" to Her who is so beautiful.

I am beautiful when I wear my twirling orange dress with a great pair of earrings!

I was beautiful even when I did not see it.  Even though I've cried when staring at my face, thinking how disgusting I am, I was beautiful.

I am beautiful still.

I don't know whether my eyes are doves behind my veil, or my hair like a flock of goats descending from Gilead. But in my own way, in my own Jen-way, I am beautiful. Perhaps, I am beautiful like a black and white photograph or like the setting sun over the ocean.

I am definitely not beautiful because I am perfect. I am not perfect, inwardly or outwardly. I have flaws enough.

But, I am beautiful.

For I am loved by God, and love is in my heart, and where there is love:

there is beauty.

*Just so you know... this was a much harder exercise than I was anticipating. To make yourself actively think that you are beautiful when you struggle so much with it is quite draining. But, I am so glad I did this. Thank you, Laura! Thank you for reminding me that I am indeed beautiful, no matter what. :)  I encourage you all to fill in the blanks, as well! :)