http://youtu.be/vcPrnrQxuw0
There are literally one million and two reasons why I love this song so much. For the moment, we will put aside my inner teeny bopper self that likes to pretend I am reliving my teenage years. We will put all of those one million and one reasons aside (for today) and just focus on one, one huge reason why I love this song.
I have found myself smiling and singing this song at the top of my lungs multiple times since its release. I picture the young women that this song refers to and I get a little happy. But I often found myself asking the question, “Does ‘she’ (whoever the lucky lady is) finally believe she is beautiful after this song was written for her?” What about the young girl whose new BF sings her this song every time they get in the car, does that girl finally believe she is beautiful? Maybe. Maybe not.
If the emphasis in her mind is still on physical looks then I believe the answer to my question is ‘no.’ If our only definitions of “beautiful” is wrapped up in physical appearance then no amount of One Directionness will ever fully divert our poor body image. The song will die down, we will walk by another woman that we think is more beautiful than us, and once again the insecurity will resurface. If we spend our time trying to simply once and for all believe we LOOK beautiful, then we are wasting our time.
BUT, a ‘yes’ to my question is possible. As I listened over and over again to those lyrics, bopping incessantly with a dance beat I cannot get out of my head, it hit me! The beauty doesn’t come with the words, or the mirror, or the cute boys. The beauty comes with the trust.
The trust to finally put more faith in the people around you than you do in yourself.
The trust to finally put more faith in what people are promising you than you do in what you see in the mirror.
The trust to finally put more faith in the God that created you than you do in the thoughts you created.
The trust to finally believe it doesn’t matter if you think you look beautiful because you are beautiful.
You see this song is jam packed with giddy, ‘happily ever after,’ OMG he is my dreamboat emotions. Emotions that can sweep us away no matter at what stage of life we are in. Truth be told, there is a distraction in these emotions. A distraction that finally takes us out of our heads, away from the mirror, and entranced by the love dedicated in our direction.
Yes, distraction is good. Especially when the distraction is sent upwards. Boys or no boys, married or single, dating or not…God has a love song just for us. I know, for me, God’s love for me was the healthy distraction I needed to finally get my own brain off myself for awhile. What is more awesome than that?
So take a minute, listen to this song again (for the gazillionth time) and get entranced…finally willing to trust the people God has put in your life.
Also, I have identified my next endeavor…a Mother Daughter event that starts off with a “What Makes you Beautiful” flash mob. Oh yes, I’m so serious.