Finding real beauty

“Some people, no matter how old they get, never lose their beauty – they merely move it from their faces into their hearts.” – Martin Buxbaum, American author and poet

His words hug my heart.

Some people, when you meet them, and they speak, they immediately show their beauty. It’s not their outer appearance that stands out, but their inner beauty.

I just spent five days with 60 of the most beautiful women you could ever come to know. The beauty of their hearts shone brightly through their faces. We hugged, prayed, worshiped, hiked, wiped tears, ate decadent food, and laughed – oh, how we laughed. You should have seen their hearts! They were truly beautiful.

These First Daughters attended the soul care retreat at Glen Eyrie Castle in Colorado Springs, Colo. Yes, a real castle, nestled on a mountain near the Garden of the Gods. Have you ever thought about the fact that your soul needs to be cared for?

I sat among writers, speakers, authors, podcasters, and pastors who share hope and love in a world where kindness and genuine compassion are gradually being erased or hidden.

During these few days, we learned that it did not matter what we are called to be, but who we are … Daughters of our Heavenly Father.

Dear Daughter,

Don’t be afraid, for I have redeemed you, I have called you by name, you are mine. Isaiah 43:1 The Message

Redeem: To free from captivity and bondage from your past. Can I get a Hallelujah?

Have you ever considered that your Heavenly Father calls you by name? Have you ever read the scriptures with your name in mind?

Isaiah 43 goes on to say …

When you’re over your head, I’ll be there with you.

When you’re in rough waters, you will not go down.

When you’re between a rock and a hard place, it won’t be a dead end

––Because I am God, your personal God, the Holy of Israel, your Savior.

Each one of these women has a story to tell. They have been in over their heads in hard circumstances. They have struggled in rough waters where they feared drowning. They know more than a few rocks and hard places.

And yet, don’t you love the power of the word, YET?

Yet, God redeemed their difficult stories, just as He can redeem yours. He transforms ashes into beauty. He grants new life after losing a dream or a relationship. He offers hope to the hopeless. He tells us we will see streams in our deserts. We might even dance in our deserts.

This week, we were reminded that God is still doing new things. He is still redeeming our story. He is making a road through our deserts.

This is where real beauty is found.

When you have a story of redemption to tell, beauty will be revealed. The beauty of a heart that has found new life radiates on the face of one who has known great pain, hurt, and sorrow.

When you hug someone with a redemption story, you feel the love in their hug, and their beauty is evident.

When we allow our Heavenly Father to hold the pen as our stories are written, when we allow him to hold the paintbrush that creates a new picture of our lives, and when we allow Him to spackle the broken cracks in our hearts … beauty will be found.

How do I know? I saw it in the faces of some 60 women worshipping in a castle this week. They did not have the official title of queen or princess, but they were called Daughters of their Heavenly Father. Their beauty radiated as I hugged them.

“When there is beauty in the heart, a woman shall be called beautiful.” – JHL

Editor’s note: Janet recently released her latest book, “From the Hart: Two Decades of Columns, Kindness, and Kitchen-Table Wisdom.” You can purchase it on Amazon at a.co/d/06kiySik.

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Janet Hart Leonard can be contacted at janethartleonard@gmail.com or followed on Facebook or Instagram (@janethartleonard). She is the recipient of the Reporter’s Spring 2025 Ink-Stained Wretch award. Visit janethartleonard.com.