Redefining Beauty

Walking Away from Shame

Who is telling you the story of your beauty? Messages about our bodies and our beauty come from a million directions—parents, friends, magazines covers, Instagram influencers, personal trainers, dermatologists, infomercials, Bible verses, lingerie ads, body positivity advocates and the entire Kardashian family tree. We’ve internalized a cacophony of voices, which has led to a painful, confusing discord in many of our hearts.

Unexpectedly, Katherine’s stroke quieted the jangle of the competing messages in her mind. As she adjusted to life with a partially paralyzed face, double-vision, and a wobbly gait, she was freed to redefine beauty by the rubric of her own experience rather than baseless cultural standards. Beauty was no longer flawless skin or facial symmetry or a whittled waist. Beauty was a certain intangible magic born through suffering and sacrifice.

Katherine discovered true beauty can be found when gazing on the person of Jesus, who was perfect in love, patience and grace. Beauty can be found in sharing the experience of suffering with Christ, who endured the ugliness of the cross to give us the beauty of eternity. Beauty can be found in daily surrendering the shame of our imperfections and picking up the love Jesus freely offers us. Let’s recognize the beautiful flashes of Christ we see in the people around us and celebrate the circumstances (and even the suffering!) that make us look more like Jesus. 

We are beautiful because we are made, re-made, and loved by Jesus—beauty made manifest.