Beautiful

This post has been kicking around in my mind for quite some time now. Bear with me, please.

I have been hearing the song "Beautiful" by Mercy Me on the radio a lot recently. A couple of weeks ago my husband said to me "What do you think he means?" And I responded that I thought he was speaking to a soul who had lost the way. Perhaps she belonged to the Lord and was walking apart from Him. Perhaps he had never known Him and was just being introduced to Him. I was thinking about the lyrics in the first verse that time. I was picturing an addict in rehab.

"Days will come when you don't have the strength
And all you hear is you're not worth anything
Wondering if you ever could be loved
And if they truly saw your heart
They'd see so much
You're beautiful, You're beautiful
You are made for so much more than all of this
You're beautiful, You're beautiful
You are treasured,
you are sacred,
you are His
You're beautiful"

But then a few days later I was listening to the song again. I was in the car on the way home from a long trip to Costco. After spending the morning cleaning. After a night of being up and down (still) with a baby. I was feeling bad I had been so cranky to my kids. And I realized that the song was talking about a stay at home Mom. The thing is we ARE so much more than all of this. Than yelling at our kids when we shouldn't. Than not being thankful for the precious gift that those tiny little bodies are. Than not loving our husbands the way we should. Than getting caught up in the chaos of the morning and forgetting (or choosing not to) spend the few moments of silence asking our Maker for help to get through the day.

"Praying that you have the heart to fight
Cuz you are more than what is hurting you tonight
For all the lies you've held inside so long
But they are nothing in the shadow of the cross
You're beautiful, You're beautiful
You are made for so much more than all of this
You're beautiful, You're beautiful
You are treasured,
ou are sacred,
you are His
You're beautiful"

The next time I listened to the song it struck me that it would have spoken to me in a whole different way as a teenager. When it's easy to get caught up in school stress, friend drama, feeling sorry for yourself. When it's easy to blame it all on the hormones, on the parents, on the popular kids at school. And it is so easy to forget that:

"Before you ever took a breath
Long before the world began
Of all the wonders He possessed
There was one more precious
Of all the earth and skies above
You're the one He madly loves
Enough to die!"

Because die He did. Knowing full well that I would let "all of this" pull me down. Knowing that I would forget to bring my problems--big and small--to the Shadow of the Cross. I just love that line "They are nothing in the shadow of the cross."
The birds who sing for Him every morning with no reminder. The Sun that shines each day at His command. The flowers that bloom all for His Glory. They are not the recipient of His dying love. Instead it's me. The one who doesn't bloom each day. The one who forgets to shine often. Who has to be reminded to sing.

"You're beautiful, You're beautiful
In His eyes You're beautiful!
You are made for so much more than all of this
You're beautiful!
You are treasured,
you are sacred,
you are His
You're beautiful!
You are made for so much more than all of this
You're beautiful!
You are treasured
You are sacred
You are His"

You are treasured, you are sacred, you are His. Remember that today.