Towb Meod

Being a girl and raising girls is a journey that is not for the faint of heart. Hormones, heartaches, self esteem issues, friends, insecurities, the need to please and an impossible standard can add up to a lifetime of discouragement, disappointments and stunted relationships.

When I talk to young women (teens) and even older ladies, I am often astonished to hear them lament their failures while being seemingly oblivious to the amazing contributions that they are making in the lives of others.

A few years ago, I took some of my teens to a Christian music concert. During the pre-show blasting of recorded hits, we browsed through the artists’ booths. The lyrics of a song caught my attention and I stopped to listen more intently to what the crooner was saying.

“There could never be a more beautiful you.

Don’t buy the lies, disguises, hoops they make you jump through.

You were made to fill a purpose, that only you can do.

So there could never be a more beautiful you.”***

I looked at my daughter and put my arm around her. I was praying that she would always understand her value. I smiled and commented that I didn’t know who was singing the song but that I really appreciated the message and thought we should get the cd. At that moment, the artist from the booth where we were leaned over and said, “Thank you ma’am. I’m Johnny Diaz and I’m thrilled that my song touched you.” Ok, so I’m a ma’am (old) and completely out of touch. My daughter was laughing so hard I thought I saw tears in her eyes.

I am so thankful for that moment of humility because I know that it will help me to retain the memory. That moment in time when the refrain, “There could never be a more beautiful you.” resonates in my head. It is a melody that is not only pleasing acoustically but spiritually as well.

In a society where skinny, rich, popular and sexy are worshiped, being a “mean girl” is what’s in and bullying is a more common phrase than “What’s for supper?” it is no wonder that girls are carrying a burden of grief, shame and loneliness that no one should ever have to face.

I was reading the other day in the book of Genesis and (re)discovered this passage.

Genesis 1:31

God saw all that He had made and it was very good.

It seems like such a simple little phrase but I’m learning that God always has a message for me if I dig a little bit deeper.

In the original Hebrew, towb means beautiful and meod means abundance.

In other words, you, sister,

are abundantly beautiful in God’s sight!

The next time you are tempted to believe the lie that you are not enough or that God can’t love you, remember that in His Word, He clearly says that you are not only abundantly beautiful but created in His image (Genesis 1:27 ) and He loves you so much, just as you are (Romans 5:8), that He chose you for His very own (1 Peter 2:9).

***(A More Beautiful You by Johnny Diaz

To hear the whole song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PGZkrn_vaqU)