Now, More Beautiful
Me inside the mosque.
Photo credit: The “Now, More Beautiful” security guard
“For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. . . . Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.”
– Psalm 139: 13, 16 NIV
During my master’s program, I studied in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, for one semester. My route to classes often took me past a beautiful mosque that never failed to captivate my attention with its intricate architecture. One day, I spontaneously decided to satisfy my curiosity about what the interior looked like. On my way to the entrance the security guard stopped me and provided a burqa for me to wear as I was inappropriately dressed to enter.
When I put on the garment, the guard remarked, “Now, more beautiful.” I chuckled to myself because I didn’t quite share his sentiments. However, over time I came to appreciate his comment. While putting on the burqa took attention away from my own style and overall outward appearance, it didn’t make me less of an individual.
In Psalm 139:13, 16, David described that before the world gained a glimpse of you and me, God already knew us and took His precious time to create each one of us as unique individuals. Our value and worth does not come from outward appearance or status, but by the mere fact God saw fit to create us and breathe life into us. In that knowledge alone we are more beautiful.
