Melissa Scott's Blog
beauty / 06.24.09, 02:53 PM
Beauty has been something I’ve struggled with my whole life and on many levels. I have a really hard time finding value as a woman beyond my physical appearance. I am trying to practice patience during this transformational process. Our culture lies to us and tells us our worth is only skin deep. That of course is a billion dollar industry based on lies. We are not of worth because of what we have or look like. We are valued because of who we are; children of the king of kings our Lord and savior! Beauty is an abstract thing at times and I don’t think most of it rests in the eye of the beholder as much as it rests in the heart of the beholder. Beauty is not something that can be bought, even though many things bought are beautiful. Beauty can not be sold, it’s priceless. However, beauty can be given and received. I have been on both ends, both are remarkable. Thanks be to God.
The photo above is a picture of Quinn (one of my kids) with me on the stairs of a house in our neighborhood. Many people may say that this house, this neighborhood, these streets are not beautiful. I think maybe they were looking with only their eyes. Look with your heart and you’ll find, it’s covered, saturated with beauty. These streets where the sidewalks end, where there is violence and drugs. There is also beauty! For every yell there is an equal amount of laughter. For every act of violence there is an act of love. For every loss there is a gain. Not to say things are perfect(I speak as if I know what perfect is…I don’t), but God is good.
The other day was one of those blessings and a day filled with beauty. I saw my friend Levon on the steps of a church, which ironically enough is where a lot of homeless folk hang, outside the church. Levon saw me walking up and pretended to get bashful until I yelled,“ Hey Levon!” He jumped up and hugged me. We talked about me not being able to find him and how a cop bashed in his eye and broke his nose. I am not saying all cops are bad. I am not even saying this cop was bad, however that is hard to say when the only picture I see of him is in my friends broken face. In the end Levon was still beautiful and God is Good! Levon is like one of those prophets sometimes you wish you were like. Someone who speaks the truth gets hit in the face and lovingly speaks the truth again. Levon and I talked for a while. We discussed many things. Toward the end of our conversation I asked Levon if I could buy him dinner. I insisted because he was not much more than bones. (keep in mind Levon hates hand outs and will not beg for anything.) He said well….if you’d really like to help me I’d love to buy a shirt cause all I have is this inside out stained shirt. I knew I only had a few dollars cash. I began thinking, my mom had put money in my account for me to go to the doctor. “Okay!” I said. “ Let me go to the ATM” I got money out and gave it to Levon. I trust him deeply, I would trust him with my life if I needed to. He almost wouldn’t take my money even after we had cried about how much we love each other. I looked him in the face while holding money and said, “ this means nothing between friends.” He smiled and hugged me. What a blessing! My parents in California just clothed a homeless man in Atlanta. Friendship, what a deep blessing! Money to lose all relevance, a blessing! Me to walk away empty in pocket and full in heart what a blessing!!!
God is beautiful and comes in many forms. Sometimes God is in the trees that dance. Sometimes God is in your homeless friends. Sometimes God is in your gifts toward others. Sometimes God is in loss. Sometimes God is in a broken beaten face. Sometimes God is hidden in a person who broke your friends face. Sometimes God is in tears and brokenness. One thing is certain God is always Good!
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