Wonderfully-Made: Embracing My God-Built Face

I was told that I have a gift for writing, and since this gift is treating me well, here’s another story I have to tell:

As a child growing up, people made me believe that my face was advertising disgrace. They described it as broad, and the way they said it made me feel as if my face was as ugly as any monkey. There was a particular girl in high school who used to tell me how much it looked like a pudding pan. To be honest, I believed her because it felt like confirmation; she wasn’t from my village, yet she said the same thing others had said. So, I thought there must have been some truth to it. I even cried on a few occasions. If my ears could talk, they would complain about hearing the words “broad face gal” far too often.

If people had said “broad and cute face,” I would have felt better. But instead, it was just “broad face,” accompanied by unfavorable words like “big, ugly forehead.” I started wearing bangs, as seen in the picture, hoping they would cover a portion of that “big, ugly forehead.” To be honest, it wasn’t just what they said but how they said it. I even believed my mirror was in agreement with them because every time I looked into it, I saw an image with a broad face and big forehead. I guess it was my mind’s eye that was also looking.

Today, I can proudly say things are totally different. I’ve grown to accept how I am made, and no one can make me feel any less, anymore. So, guess what? Every time I look in the mirror, I see a wonderfully made broad face with a big forehead that God carved out for me.

If I had followed people’s opinions, I would have taken their words to heart and gotten down on my knees, asking God to change my face into what they wanted it to be – which would have been a waste of time. Thank God I’m now pleased with my unique face that He created for me, and not for “we”. Those people wanted me to put my face between two irons and, with enough force, have it narrowed to their liking.

Thank God my self-esteem wasn’t at zero. I thought highly of myself and did absolutely nothing to transform my face. Who knows, if I had done that, I probably wouldn’t be alive today or would be living with regrets as each day passes. Thank the Lord for the way He carved out my unique face and for the assurance that beauty is within.

When one is pleased, he or she is satisfied, and there is no room for depression because there’s nothing to worry about. We all have the tendency to want more of what we have, and though we may not want more of everything, there’s at least one thing we always want more of. Some people even go as far as wanting more than who God made them to be. In not feeling good about themselves, they do things just to look or feel better. But when people are pleased with what they have or who they are, they make themselves comfortable, happy and satisfied. Rest assured, whether we stay natural or not, there will always be people who do not appreciate us or certain things about us.

God wants us to be content because otherwise, we may resort to deviant acts to fulfill our desires or meet people’s expectations. Paul in Galation 1:10 says, “Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ”.

“There is great gain in godliness with contentment” (1 Timothy 6:6).