BEAUTY FROM ASHES - TAKEN FROM A CHRISTIAN MONTHLY MAGAZINE

She got down from her latest model car, self-driven, possessed excellent command over English. She had everything in her to be called ‘beautiful’. Pastor Charles observed her from his room. He was an experienced Pastor who had a longing to do something for God.

She entered the room of Pastor Charles speedily.

“Sarah, please come”, Pastor Charles invited her and made her sit on a chair. Although she tried to talk to him she could not. But suddenly she broke down and began sobbing.

She said, “I am ugly and my life is ugly”. Her eyes were blood shod and tears filled her cheeks.

She continued, “Pastor, my life is a total failure. Give me one reason why I should live?”

“Why do you say that?”, asked Pastor Charles.

She replied, “Look at my life. See what a mess I have made. See the things I have chosen to do. Look at the name I have gained – a slut”. Pastor Charles allowed her to finish her long confession at the end of which she broke down into a million pieces. She sobbed and sobbed till she had no more tears to drop. Then she calmed down.

“Sarah, so what did you do about that?” asked Pastor Charles.

She replied, “I tried Pastor but I could not. The more I tried the more the world shouted ‘I am ugly’. Among those who shouted were my friends, my youth fellowship and many more.”

Pastor Charles waited till she calmed down. Then he took a beautiful brand new Barbie doll and asked her, “Do you like it?”.

She replied, “It is beautiful and I like it”.

“Let’s suppose you made this doll how you will like it?”.

“Oh, I would love it with all my heart”.

Then Pastor Charles told her, “Sarah you are also like this doll. God made you and whenever He sees you, He says, ‘Lovely’” (Genesis 1:4,12,25,31).

Sarah said, “Pastor, will you please stop it. You always try to make me feel good”.

Pastor Charles did not respond to that because he was tired of seeing people who just cannot believe the lovely people that they really are within themselves.

Then he took a tube of fevicol paste and began to squeeze it on the lovely doll.

“Pastor, what are you doing? Stop it” she said.

The Pastor did not stop. Within a few moments the doll was destroyed. Then he went out of his rood, took a handful of mud and came inside. The mud was stinking.

Sarah, pulled out her hand kerchief and covered her nose.

Then Pastor Charles poured the mud on the fevicol that was pasted on the doll. Now the doll was buried under the mud – sand. He asked her, “Now look, how is it!”

Sarah replied, “It is intolerable. I am feeling sick.”

“Will you love it?”

“Never”.

“Will your friends love it?”

“No”.

“Will your parents love it?”

“No”.

“Will anyone in your youth fellowship like it?”

“No”.

“Can they be blamed for not loving it?”

“No, they can’t be blamed”.

But Pastor Charles said, “I love it”.

Sarah was shocked. “What do you mean?”

Pastor Charles replied, “The real Barbie is buried underneath the mud and it is beautiful and lovely. What I am seeing now is the dust and the ugliness. It is not the fault of the doll. In the same way God has created all of us beautifully. But it is the sins of our ancestors and our own sins that destroy our beauty. But can the doll be cleaned from this mud?”.

Sarah replied, “No”.

Pastor Charles said, “The doll cannot clean the mud and dirt from it. Only another person can do it”.

Then he showed Sarah a particular portion from the Bible and Sarah read it.

“The blood of Jesus Christ, His son cleanses us from all sin” (1 John 1:7).

Pastor Charles continued, “It is not your fault to appear ugly to this world and yourself. It is the mud poured on you by these worldly things is the reason for your ugliness. But you always look beautiful to God. The blood He had shed on the cross is so powerful to cleanse you from all your sins”.

Sarah happily nodded her head in agreement and her eyes brightened.

“And provide for those who grieve in Zion—to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendour” – (Isaiah 61:3)