Ask a Question - or - Return to the Faith and Spirituality Forum Index

Question Title	Posted By	Question Date
Re: External beauty and its consequences	janet	Friday, September 21, 2007
Question: My post is not a direct question, but rather a comment on Lorie's previous question regarding her beauty and how people treat her. I am now 50 years old. Yet when younger I too, was always told how very "pretty" I was. I always needed compliments from others, especially men, to feel validated and worthy. Despite that, I still had low self-esteem. Pretty though I was, I still ended up in an unhappy marriage and I now carry a NEW burden-when my marriage ended I went into a depression and ate myself up to 240 lbs that I still walk around in each and every day. I am now a menopausal "fat" lady. Now it's "What a shame that she "let herself go" with such a pretty face! No man would want her now for sure! But should I just go and jump off a bridge as soon as I can because I no longer have beauty and youth to offer a man? Umm...nope! Sadly, it took me years to realize that my worth is not measured by my looks or the love and approval of equally imperfect humans... Lorie, beauty fades even if you don't "let yourself go" and when that beauty fades, especially with age, you better have something to back it up with...and that is by letting the light of Christ shine through you! If no one wants to see that or appreciate it, well that's their problem and most definitely their loss. STOP letting these men use you..you are ALLOWING them to do so and only dragging yourself down further into sin and ultimate self-loathing. Expect nothing but the very best treatment and live your faith proudly. God loves you more than anyone else ever will, that alone is enough for me to still get out of bed each day and walk with my head held high. Live a clean--chaste life--not easy, but with God's help it CAN be done. He can change you in ways you aren't even aware of. He loves you so. Trust Him! Praise him always and in all ways, and thank Him for the gift of your beauty, but do not misuse that gift. I hope to get to heaven, where I look forward to seeing the face of God in my once again 125-pound glorified body. But for now I just can't seem to lose those last stubborn 100 pounds....:)
Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OLSM Dear Janet: Thank you for your remarks. It is good to have a woman's perspective on this subject. We are indeed of value to God no matter if we are 100 or 500 pounds. We are His children and a Father loves his children no matter how beautiful or ugly they are, no matter how fat or skinny, no matter how smart or not-so-smart they are. Our worth and our esteem and self-respect should not be dependent on our looks which are fleeting. All persons are beautiful in their soul. If we seen Jesus in others, rather than their looks, the world would be a much better place. Since that is not likely to happen as a society, we need to keep ourselves in perspective in knowing God's love for us and that is what makes us beautiful. God Bless, Bro. Ignatius Mary P.S. God don't make no junk and He made us. Footer Notes: This forum is for general questions on the faith. See specific Topic Forums below: Spiritual Warfare, demons, the occult go to our Spiritul Warfare Q&S Forum. Liturgy Questions go to our Liturgy and Liturgical Law Q&A Forum Liturgy of the Hours (Divine Office) Questions go to our Divine Office Q&A Forum Defenfing the Faith Questions go to our Defending the Faith Q&A Forum Church History Questions go to our Church History Q&A Forum

Question Title

Posted By

Question Date

Re: External beauty and its consequences

janet

Friday, September 21, 2007

Question:

My post is not a direct question, but rather a comment on Lorie's previous question regarding her beauty and how people treat her.

I am now 50 years old. Yet when younger I too, was always told how very "pretty" I was. I always needed compliments from others, especially men, to feel validated and worthy. Despite that, I still had low self-esteem.

Pretty though I was, I still ended up in an unhappy marriage and I now carry a NEW burden-when my marriage ended I went into a depression and ate myself up to 240 lbs that I still walk around in each and every day. I am now a menopausal "fat" lady. Now it's "What a shame that she "let herself go" with such a pretty face! No man would want her now for sure! But should I just go and jump off a bridge as soon as I can because I no longer have beauty and youth to offer a man? Umm...nope! Sadly, it took me years to realize that my worth is not measured by my looks or the love and approval of equally imperfect humans...

Lorie, beauty fades even if you don't "let yourself go" and when that beauty fades, especially with age, you better have something to back it up with...and that is by letting the light of Christ shine through you! If no one wants to see that or appreciate it, well that's their problem and most definitely their loss. STOP letting these men use you..you are ALLOWING them to do so and only dragging yourself down further into sin and ultimate self-loathing. Expect nothing but the very best treatment and live your faith proudly.

God loves you more than anyone else ever will, that alone is enough for me to still get out of bed each day and walk with my head held high. Live a clean--chaste life--not easy, but with God's help it CAN be done. He can change you in ways you aren't even aware of. He loves you so. Trust Him! Praise him always and in all ways, and thank Him for the gift of your beauty, but do not misuse that gift.

I hope to get to heaven, where I look forward to seeing the face of God in my once again 125-pound glorified body. But for now I just can't seem to lose those last stubborn 100 pounds....:)

Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OLSM

Dear Janet:

Thank you for your remarks. It is good to have a woman's perspective on this subject.

We are indeed of value to God no matter if we are 100 or 500 pounds. We are His children and a Father loves his children no matter how beautiful or ugly they are, no matter how fat or skinny, no matter how smart or not-so-smart they are.

Our worth and our esteem and self-respect should not be dependent on our looks which are fleeting. All persons are beautiful in their soul. If we seen Jesus in others, rather than their looks, the world would be a much better place.

Since that is not likely to happen as a society, we need to keep ourselves in perspective in knowing God's love for us and that is what makes us beautiful.

God Bless,
Bro. Ignatius Mary

P.S. God don't make no junk and He made us.

Footer Notes: This forum is for general questions on the faith. See specific Topic Forums below:
Spiritual Warfare, demons, the occult go to our Spiritul Warfare Q&S Forum.
Liturgy Questions go to our Liturgy and Liturgical Law Q&A Forum
Liturgy of the Hours (Divine Office) Questions go to our Divine Office Q&A Forum
Defenfing the Faith Questions go to our Defending the Faith Q&A Forum
Church History Questions go to our Church History Q&A Forum