What makes you beautiful...?

So, I'm not really familiar with much of the top 40 music on the radio at the moment...and well, that may give way my age a bit...but after the Senior High Beach Retreat last week, I had 6 hours in the car to get my fair share. 

My new favorite song is What Makes You Beautiful by One Direction. It's pretty dancy...and it's absolutely perfect to blast in the truck when you're headed home from the beach and it's over 100 degrees and you opt for windows down instead of air conditioning.  (Maybe the heat got to us, or perhaps it was the pure joy in singing

Lyrics are from www.metrolyrics.com

You're insecure, Don't know what for, You're turning heads when you walk through the door,
Don't need make-up, To cover up, Being the way that you are is enough,
Everyone else in the room can see it, Everyone else but you,

Baby you light up my world like nobody else, The way that you flip your hair gets me overwhelmed, But when you smile at the ground it ain't hard to tell, You don't know, Oh oh, You don't know you're beautiful, If only you saw what I can see, You'll understand why I want you so desperately, Right now I'm looking at you and I can't believe, You don't know, Oh oh, You don't know you're beautiful, Oh oh, That's what makes you beautiful

So c-come on,You got it wrong, To prove I'm right, I put it in a song, I don't know why, You're being shy, And turn away when I look into your eye eye eyes,
Everyone else in the room can see it, Everyone else but you,

Baby you light up my world like nobody else, The way that you flip your hair gets me overwhelmed, But when you smile at the ground it ain't hard to tell,You don't know, Oh oh, You don't know you're beautiful,If only you saw what I can see, You'll understand why I want you so desperately, Right now I'm looking at you and I can't believe,You don't know, Oh oh, You don't know you're beautiful, Oh oh, That's what makes you beautiful

It isn't all here...I left out the Na, Na, Na lines and another repeat or two of the chorus, but you get the idea.  What I love is that it points out he beauty that is in each and every one of us, that we don't necessarily see...it's the beauty that is in our hearts, our minds, or words and our actions....more so than our outward appearance. 

I like to think of it as the beauty that God sees in us every waking moment.  That who God created us and calls us to be are beautiful in God's eyes.  Sometimes we miss that beauty not only in others, but also in ourselves. 

This past year I lost 20 pounds.  I changed my eating habits to reduce the unhealthy carbs and increase my veggie and whole grain intake and exercise 5-6 times a week.  I'm nearly 40 and feel like I'm in the best shape of my life.  I feel great and look great.  But while my outer appearance makes me happy, it's not totally who I am.  I think that the beauty others see in me stems from my happiness and joy I feel and exude from being so happy in my call here at Trinity.   

After several days with high schoolers just taking the time and space to be themselves, I don't wish to repeat those years, but I do know that I *LOVE* waking with them, praying with them, laughing and crying with them as their lives change and as they grow into the amazing young adults that God has created and called them to be.  (If any of you from the beach trip are reading this know that you are beautiful, and enjoy being the awesome indivdual that God created you to be!)

I hope that each of them has had and continues to have the opportunity to see how truly beautiful each one of them is. 

Oh....and take time to roll the windows down and sing a favorite song the next time you go for a ride....it's bound to bring a smile to your face.  :)

+paz