When Ellie was born, she weighed just over six pounds. She was tiny and perfect. I thought she was the most beautiful baby I’d ever seen.
I still think she’s beautiful. At seven years old, her hair’s a lot longer now, and she likes to wear it down. Her eyes are a clear blue. She has a porcelain complexion and a slender build. But though I think Ellie is beautiful, her physical attributes are not the primary reason I think so.
Even more beautiful to me than Ellie’s outward appearance is her heart. From very early on, I could see that Ellie had (and still has) a heart of gold, filled with a level of compassion and tenderness found in few people. When other toddlers cried, Ellie gently patted them and tried to make them feel better. When other children fell down, Ellie tried to help them up. If Ellie could tell I was having a bad day, she drew me a picture to bring a smile to my face. As she grew older, when she could tell someone was sick or just needed encouragement, she suggested that they lie in bed and let her take care of him or her. When other people hurt her, she forgave them and remained loyal.
I truly believe that Ellie is one of the most tender, beautiful souls God ever put on this earth. Not because she’s physically beautiful…but because she loves beautifully.
Ellie loves others the way God means for us to love. No, she’s not perfect. She sins, just like the rest of us, even when it comes to people. But when the chips are down, you want Ellie in your corner. And you’ll have her, because she wants to be there and help you through it.
As a matter of fact, she’s a lot like another Person I know. She looks like Him and acts like Him. It’s no wonder there’s a family resemblance, because He’s her Father. And just like the moon reflects the light of the sun, her spirit reflects the beauty of His. She loves, because He loves.
We’re often amazed when others love us well. We marvel at the depth of their love. But do we ever wonder at the immensity of God’s love for us? The most compassionate person we’ve known on earth demonstrates but a fraction of God’s compassion. The most tenderhearted is only a dim reflection of the Son. The most loving person on earth gives us a mere glimpse of the amazing, overflowing reality of God’s love.
Yet we don’t often stop to contemplate the beauty of Someone Who’s the very fullness of beauty. We know God has all these great qualities, but we don’t spend much time contemplating His beauty. Why not? Think how much pleasure you and I receive from observing and adoring our beautiful, wonderful children. How much more delight would there be in adoring our beautiful, wonderful God?
So will you try something with me this week? The next time we find ourselves thinking about how amazing our child is, or how beautiful and compassionate, let’s let that be a reminder to us to think about God’s infinitely greater beauty. And then, let’s not forget to tell Him how beautiful He is. He longs to hear our response.
Psalm 27:4—One thing have I asked of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to inquire in his temple.