A gentle and quiet spirit makes me truly beautiful.
~ Affirmation from Day 47, Donna Partow
I love the affirmation from today’s lesson. It is a good reminder that when we behave in ugly ways, then we appear ugly; however, when we act in beautiful ways, we are truly beautiful.Today’s “homework” is to truly and honestly evaluate our countenance, so here goes…
- The basis of my countenance: I would like to say that I always use God-confidence, but that would not be entirely honest. In this world, it is very easy to fall back on reliance of self, which can also be very dangerous. Since beginning this study, I can say that I am taking time to pray and think about what would be pleasing to God and what His will is, but there are times – often when I am over-tired or stressed out, that I relapse and try to rely on myself (which usually doesn’t work out as well as if I would have stopped and relied on God instead).
- My countenance reflects: This is a work in progress, for sure, but I think for the most part that I have a happy countenance. I really have NOTHING to be miserable about. God has blessed me with healthy kids, an amazing earthly husband, forgiveness for my sins, a nice home, clothing, food, a few extras that I enjoy, the skills and ability to work from home, and COMPLETE HEALING FROM RA. My prayer is that, even when stressed, that I can smile and show others hoe amazing our God has always been and always will be!
- Benefits of a beautiful countenance: Having the ability to smile no matter what and behave in gentle and quiet ways (especially tough for a former Jersey girl… lol) reflects positively on my earthly husband and my God. Even when other wives are husband-bashing, I do not take part as there is nothing I wish to bash about Kevin. I am amazingly blessed to have him and I do not want to ever let others think – even for a moment – that he is flawed. In reality, he is – we all are – because we are humans, but as far as those around me are concerned, Kevin is perfect and honored and hopefully “respected at the city gates.” I try to be this way when talking to others about God or when undergoing a trial – having that same smile and quiet, gentle way about me, I can show others how amazingly awesome God is as well. I thank God for reminding me of this very important lesson.
My countenance can use some work – and I am getting there – with God’s help. I am working on weeding out some of the gruffness of the Jersey girl – but not all of it because I think some of it helps me be resilient. I think of it more like buffing a stone found in the wild. When you find it, it is dirty, maybe scratched, and a little nasty-looking. But, when you take it home, clean it, and buff it to a shine, it becomes a thing of beauty – even though it is still a stone it now resembles a gem. This is how God takes us from the time we accept Jesus into our hearts and forgives our sin and changes us into the wives of noble character that He desires – this is how we become worth “far more than rubies.” Thank you, Father, for this as I could never get there without You!