Everything Beautiful in Its Time

I have a confession. I am not in the full flower of my beauty. I have a massive boil on the end of my nose, right in time for holiday pictures! I have horrid skin- it is very dry and needs moisturizer, but when I use moisturizer, I get acne. So I am always bouncing back and forth between lizard skin, scaling off in unsightly dry flakes, or zits you could drive a truck through. I am only admitting this because there is no hiding it anyway. Additionally, I am not a typical woman. I have never used makeup, save occasional mascara and lip gloss, and that only under extreme circumstances like weddings. I have saved my husband thousands of dollars in beauty treatments. However, this particular Rudolph-look this time, even with Christmas just around the corner, was depressing me. I felt conspicuous.

So while Matt and Karissa, here over the Thanksgiving break, went off shopping, I stole away to the cosmetics section of Dillards. Normally I shun those aisles and scurry away when the consultants in white coats with flawless skin approach me, holding out fragrances and eyeshadow. They all naturally feel compelled to approach me. Who wouldn't? They see thousands of dollars of cosmetics that this poor woman needs. They truly want to help me. Yet I skitter away, self-righteous in my belief that the unadorned face I present to the world is the face God gave me. However, this time, when the bright-eyed white coated consultant approached me, I pointed to my nose, glowing like an aircraft beacon.
"Do you have anything that can help this?"
The consultant took my hand.
"Come with me. I think you need to come talk with Donna in the special skin care area."
She led me to Donna, who smiled, and asked how she could help me.
"Need you ask?" I said, with more bitterness than perhaps something as minor as a nose the color of a stop sign should have provoked.
"Well, first, are you using any medications or products?"
Yes, but I was loathe to admit that it was just the generic drug store crap that probably was why my face was blazing like a horror movie extra.
"I have never used makeup," I told her, "So I have no idea what to use...but at this point, I must admit, I have a problem."
"That's always the first step," she said sympathetically.

Donna led me to the severe extreme clueless customer section.
She sat me on a stool, in front of a mirror and began uncapping little bottles.
She put dabs of colors on my cheek to first match my skin tone exactly. On the third try, she had the right color.
"Now, let's try that on your nose," she said, "It is medicated and will help you alot, and will conceal it as well."
She brushed it on, with a look of intense concentration, and then turned me to the mirror.
I looked at myself. My nose looked perfect. No wrinkles, no sun spots, no carbuncles ten yards wide. My nose looked twenty years younger than my cheeks.
"I'll take it," I said.
"Now what do you use for moisturizer?"
"Moisturizer?"
"Your skin is dry, and this will dry it out more. You need to first apply moisturizer."
"But when I use moisturizer, I get acne."
"Not with this," she said, pulling out another little bottle, "And it will last 5 months. What are your goals with moisturizer?"
"What do you mean?" I asked. Goals? This was harder than my college exams.
"Do you want wrinkle repair, sunspot repair, spf..."
"Truthfully," I said, "I don't mind that I have wrinkles and sunspots. I am no longer as young as...well....you....but I do need spf, and I don't want acne every time I use moisturizer."
"This will do it," she said smiling, tapping the little bottle.
"What if it doesn't work?"
"You bring it back for a full refund. And with these products you get a free makeup bag, tote, and lipstick."
"Sold," I said, still glancing in the mirror amazed at what masterful beauty products I have spent over half a century unaware of.

I felt guilty leaving the store. I mean, there are starving people in the world. I have no right to spend money covering spots on my face. But I am going to live with the guilt somehow. After 50+ years, I think I can buy one small jar of concealing cream. OK, two... I know God is a God who loves beauty. Look at the world He created! Look at the flowers He unfurls for our enjoyment! I think it is entirely possible that He was looking at my nose in horror too. Nonetheless, I did give an extra contribution to the Food Bank on my way out the door.

PS- some folks had asked how Honeybun did at the recent agility trial. We went home thinking she hadn't won or qualified (Q'd) in anything. Last night I got the printout of the results. She Q'd and placed second, with her fastest course time yet in her last run ! (I had thought she might have Q'ed but Asherel didn't think so, so we didn't check....). This means she advances to the next level- Excellent- in both classes. Sadly, she doesn't get her ribbons, because you have to pick them up at the trial, but hooray for Asherel and Honeybun.

Ecclesiastes 3:11 (NIV)
He has made everything beautiful in its time.

Song of Solomon 4:1-3 (NIV)
How beautiful you are, my darling!
Oh, how beautiful! Your eyes behind your veil are doves. Your hair is like a flock of goats descending from the hills of Gilead. [2] Your teeth are like a flock of sheep just shorn, coming up from the washing. Each has its twin; not one of them is alone. [3] Your lips are like a scarlet ribbon; your mouth is lovely. Your temples behind your veil are like the halves of a pomegranate.



-http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324735104578122741540428344.html?mod=djemEditorialPage_hsave a dog- hollowcreekfarm.org