Choose

If you had a choice between walking through a door labelled 'Beautiful' or one labelled 'Average' what would you choose?

I know what I'd choose ... but I know what I'd really like to choose if only I could believe it.

I've watched this clip twice and both times I have cried at the point where the woman turns and walks away. Okay, maybe she thought she was in the wrong place and went back to check the signs by the street, but maybe the choice was too hard to make.

Because as an impartial observer I know that she had every right to walk through the 'Beautiful' door, but I'm not sure she realised that.

Perhaps she had not felt attractive for a long time  because she didn't think she conformed to society's expectations of what constitutes beautiful ... or perhaps she had a father who never told her she was beautiful and so she couldn't believe it ... perhaps she was so bogged down in caring for young children or elderly parents that all she could see were the signs of stress and toil whenever she looked in the mirror ... or perhaps she hadn't had a chance to do her eyebrows or paint her nails or do something for herself in such a long time that she feels she had let herself go ... perhaps she measures herself against other attractive women and thinks she comes out wanting ... perhaps she had just broken up with her boyfriend or her husband had left her for another woman and she felt vulnerable and unlovable and unattractive ... perhaps she had jumped on the scales that morning and the number had coloured how she felt about herself ... perhaps she had never told herself that she is beautiful ...

Perhaps she is you ...

Or me ...

And yet it shouldn't be, for there is One who rejoices over us with singing and gladness, One who says,  'You are My precious daughter and I love you.' Why have we believed the lie that we are not enough - that His love is not enough?

'The Lord your God in your midst,
The Mighty One, will save;
He will rejoice over you with gladness,
He will quiet you with His love,
He will rejoice over you with singing.'

Zephaniah 3:17 (NKJV)