An Adventure to Share:
Healer, Protector, Provider, Savior, Defender – BEAUTY. So that last one isn’t typically in my vocabulary when I describe our God. Before I read this part of Captivating, that may have been one of the last words I used to describe Him. In fact, most of the words I typically use are associated with the heart of man – a strong leader. But wait! Women are strong too…in the most beautiful way!
Ezer Kenegdo. I’m not sure I can even pronounce that right, so I’m glad this is an online study. BUT how awesome is this concept! To be someone’s Ezer, to be someone’s “lifesaver,” to be someone’s only hope. Wow. WOW! And that’s the role and the responsibility God has placed on the heart of every woman.
“Women are endowed with fierce devotion, an ability to suffer great hardships, a vision to make the world a better place.”
We can be someone’s “Ezer” with just a smile, a positive comment, a loving remark. I have to constantly remind myself that every day! God gives us the opportunity to be someone’s Ezer with friends, co-workers, family, and even strangers. You never know what just a little smile can do – you may have saved someone’s life! And that’s the beauty in you! That’s you, acting in God’s image, and loving a hurting world. To be an everyday Ezer Kenegdos…that’s our mission!
**********************
After I graduated college, I moved to Philadelphia, a humongous city where I knew absolutely no one. The year and a half that I lived there was the most trying time I may have ever been through. Many times, I found myself so incredibly exhausted – in every way. Mentally, spiritually, emotionally, physically.
Fortunately for me, I only lived an hour away from the shore of the Atlantic Ocean. One lonely Friday night, I decided to escape. Escape people, my exhausting life and situation, and run away…to the beach. So I threw some PJs, a beach towel, and my bathing suit in a bag, hopped in my old, rusted car and headed straight for the shore. Did I have hotel reservations? No. A plan for the weekend? Not at all. But what did I find? As the sun was setting over the ocean, I found God. As I walked through a local flower show, I found God. As I listened to the crashing waves, I found God. I found God because I found beauty.
When was the last time you stopped your life and found God like that? Have you realized yet that this beauty that we find in nature – we are that beauty? We, as women, are beauty incarnate.
Does your life exemplify the beauty within you? Set aside the make-up and jewelry, your career goals, your obligations, society’s pressures…I want you to take a big breath. Come on, one big one! And exhale. Good! Now surrender all of those things to God and ask Him to help you reveal your true beauty. Ask Him to reveal it in your attitude, your thoughts about yourself and others, and your actions.
You are beautiful. You are created in the image of God. You are essential. You matter.
Praise Him,
Carissa
Let’s Pray
Father, thank You for who You are and who You have created us as women to be: a living example of true beauty. Lord, I pray that all doubts or thoughts of insecurity be surrendered to You. We know, Father, that when we rest in Your beauty, all is well. Lord, help us to be that example of beauty to those around us, that beauty that we were created to be. We love You, beautiful Savior. In Your Holy Name we pray, Amen.
Your Assignment
Find beauty today. Meditate on the fact that YOU ARE THE BEAUTY YOU FOUND – and so much more! Being with a woman who is at rest, a woman comfortable within her own beauty, is an enjoyable experience. She is trusting God, not striving to become beautiful, but allowing His beauty to more fully inhabit her. Have you had the experience of being with a woman who was stressed, striving, worried? And how did you feel around her?
Which woman do you want to be?
If you are interested in joining this amazing online Bible study, click HERE to sign up.
Once you are registered, you will receive an email with further details.
If you would like to send a personal message to Carissa in regards to this blog, you may email her at: Carissa@girlfriendscoffeehour.com.
About Carissa Markantone
Beautiful post Carissa, I am always in awe by the beautiful things that God created and to know that I too I am part of that is something that makes me feel so honored and grateful. Psalm 8: 3 expresses this much better than I ever could.
"When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars,
which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him?"
Thanks Jackie! Great verse too! I'm always in awe too, yet, I still forget to see myself as part of those beautiful things sometimes. Great to be reminded that WE ARE even above all other creation.
oh, yes…surely we each have experienced the difference in being with women who are comfortable in just who God made them to be—and women who have not reached that point yet! don't you think that the uneasiness of the latter just spills out onto the people around her? i think that when we are willing to be at peace with God's plan,and not allow our minds and hearts to yearn for other than that, we even like being around ourselves! <3
Yes Coleen! And on the flip side, the peace of the woman at rest spills over too! That woman is a choice we each make – we can choose which woman we want to be every day. How do you "choose" that daily? What kinds of things do you recommend younger woman of this study do to be more like the lady at rest?
how? oh.boy. the most important thing to do is to pray and ask God to help us! holding the Truth in our minds and our hearts is so necessary, too! some verses that come immediately to mind are: proverbs 3:5,6 and philippians 4:6,7 and matthew 6:33,34. but i am sure that each of can think of other verses that will help us to keep His standards in our thoughts. so that we CAN choose to be more like 'the lady at rest.' <3
I loved what you said here, Carissa: "Being with a woman who is at rest, a woman comfortable within her own beauty, is an enjoyable experience. She is trusting God, not striving to become beautiful, but allowing His beauty to more fully inhabit her". That is beautiful!!!! Thank you for sharing your heart.
Thanks Christi 🙂