The Beauty That binds

​My friend Beth is one of the most beautiful humans I know. If you ask me why, I'll say the quote below sums it up. I'm not sure I know anyone more committed to finding beauty in this world.

What struck me yesterday about Beth's words was the word effort. This idea that many times beauty isn't the result of what we see, but the work we put into finding it - and seeing it.

After reading Beth's quote yesterday, I looked up the word imprint. I found: a mark made by pressing something onto a softer substance so that its outline is reproduced. After reading that definition, I suddenly pictured the outline of this flower Beth found reproduced on her beautiful and soft heart.

I pondered out loud to Beth - I wonder if imprints aren't made behind the force of our effort to find that something that left the imprint?

Last night, I found myself unexpectedly thinking about Beth's quote in the context of relationships.

I saw a friend share on Facebook last night some very real and vulnerable thoughts about her appearance. She pointed out the flaws she saw when she looked in the mirror. Then she added there have been people in her life that have pointed out things they would change about her.

It was a sad post. I was sad for her. I was sad for us.

Because I think we do that a lot. We focus a lot on the beauty that's easy to see on the outside of one another when we enter relationships. The kind of beauty you see with a quick glance in the mirror.

Only that beauty, it doesn't leave an imprint. It took no effort to find, so the person on the other side of that relationship doesn't leave an imprint on our heart.

Mutual attraction is nice - it just doesn't leave the kind of imprint that binds.

My friend Beth had to work hard to find this flower on her morning walk yesterday. She had to wade through the weeds and the overgrown paths to get to it. But what she found - she will never forget.

It's that way with us - with one another.

When we find the people who are willing to take that overgrown path into our mirror - deep beneath the glass - people who will wade through the weeds of our lives and discover something beautiful at the core of it all - we will leave an imprint on their hearts.

And them on ours for their willingness to look.

The world and the people around you will not magically leave imprints on your heart today. You are going to have to be willing to put forth the effort to find the beauty.

But when you do - oh I promise you - it will leave an imprint much deeper than you've ever found on the edge of the path - much deeper than you've ever found looking in the mirror.

This will be an imprint that binds.

And we need more of those imprints.