I recently found myself watching the animated Disney cartoon Tarzan with my children. It had been a fun-filled evening but it seemed everything quieted at one exact moment. As I stared at the screen I watch an interaction between a young Tarzan and his gorilla mother. We find Tarzan at a small body of water smearing himself with mud. Someone has made a negative remark he wasn’t like the others in his family. This mud bath was his solution to changing his skin color to match that of the gorillas. The mother gorilla walks up behind him and he asks, “Why am I so different?” She attempts to divert his attention to which he responds in a raised tone, “Look at me!” She states in a more calm voice, “I am, Tarzan. (as she wipes the mud away) And do you know what I see? Two eyes like mine. And a nose…….two ears……” He begins comparing his hands to hers and again notices they don’t quite match as he turns in frustration. She then instructs him, “Close your eyes…..now forget what you see. What do you feel?” He responds, “My heart.” She picks him up as his eyes are still closed and holds him close. Then he responds, “Your heart” with a smile.
It’s a normal response from most children. Unfortunately, we carry many of these self-esteem-type issues into adulthood. Everyone, myself included, has or will go through stages where we search for a place of belonging. Frustrations with what we perceive as something wrong with ourselves eventually leads many toward addictions and other negative choices to fill a void. Sadly, we allow our eyes to get in our way. We begin comparing our height, weight, skin tone, clothing, makeup, jewelry, how straight our teeth are, and any number of visible and/or tangible items. Society has given these things value and we ignorantly follow along. As we age we realize what matters most is something that can’t be seen by the naked eye. Had Samuel allowed his eyes to be the guiding factor it’s highly possible David would have never been anointed as king. This simple act could have altered Biblical history as we know it. 1 Samuel 16:7 states, “But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him [God is referencing one of David’s brothers prior to anointing David the next king]. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.”” It’s the condition of the heart that genuinely makes someone who they are. Beauty comes in tall, short, skinny, pleasantly plump, from different cultures, with a myriad of skin colors like the crayons in a box, and more. There’s beauty in the return of the prodigal or the recovering drug/alcohol addict. If we could see ourselves through His eyes it would change our entire outlook. God loves you simply for who you are. That doesn’t mean He always condones your actions. But, like any good Father, He loves you regardless of your past or present. He simply loves YOU!!
Final thoughts and encouragement: It’s my prayer today you discover your beauty and the beauty of those around you. Stop allowing value be found in physical appearance, talents, or any number of unimportant things. “Red and yellow, black and white….we are precious in His sight.” Stop allowing your eyes to dictate what you see. You’re beautiful to the Father–even with your imperfections.