About the Author

Rachel Marie Kang is the author of Let There Be Art and The Matter of Little Losses. A writer of poems, prose, and other pieces, she is founder of The Fallow House and the Social Media & Guest Post Manager for (in)courage. Connect with her at rachelmariekang.com.

(in)side DaySpring: things we love
& you will too!
Find more at DaySpring.com
(in)side DaySpring:
things we love
& you will too!
Find more at
DaySpring.com
Recent Posts

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Thank you so much. I needed to read your words today. Pain(physical and emotional)has engulfed me making it hard to see any beauty in me or in the world around me. Your words here today are not just a reminder, but also a hug for my soul. God bless.

  2. I’ve been a hairdresser for 40 years. I’ve seen this over and over again. Thank you for putting it into words.

    • Me too! I loved how the women were regrouped in their minds and spirits as we’d say goodbye and book the next 4-6 week appointment, knowing we would catch up on life! And also had more love and care in some of those women than I would have dreamed! Beatrice who just passed away at 96 years old has been with me since I met her myself being 23!! God’s amazing grace
      Thanks for a reminder and great post
      Blessings today to and through you❤️

  3. I am struggling, really struggling, with s some extra pounds as a result of a severe back injury and being immobile; yet, l am beautiful! To the Father of all creation, to the God of the universe, to the holy one who sent His Son to die on a cross for my sins!!!!
    Thank you for these lovely thoughts; my Father He who knows and loves me the very best, loves me as well in this season of my life, and will lift me up regardless, to shine for His glory!!

    • Noreen, I hear your heart. I’m living with a new diagnosis, which has changed my body and added pounds to the weight and the way I feel. I’m learning how to love myself as I (newly) am, and learning to believe that God still loves me—that his love or thoughts towards me haven’t changed. May reminders of grace meet you where you are. You are lovely and you are loved.

  4. Thank you, thank you, and thank you even more !

    This is just what all females need. Every day we look into our mirrors and see someone who is lacking this that or the other. We belong to God and He is the only One who loves us unconditionally. Glory to the name of Jesus.

    I know that I love sweet babies. All of them are gifts from God. We know that each mother who is healthy emotionally loves her baby. No matter the color of hair or lack of hair, the eyes or cute little nose. So just like we adored our children, God loves us as we mature. We gain weight (childbirth), we frown sometimes (we burned the beans), we look of into the distance (an unexpected bill), and we oversleep on the game day (stayed up late baking cookies) and then we take a sigh of relief and start over again.

    So, young ladies please be sweet, kind and gentle to others and that includes yourself. I had to learn that the hard way. You will not look the same from year to year or every ten years. You will mature in many ways. Pray for God’s Wisdom, Discernment, Patience, Strength, and Loving Kindness along with Forgiveness. This is what I pray for as I mature.

    God bless all you intelligent, creative, beautiful and beloved daughters of the One True Living God.

    Brenda

    • Amen, amen, Brenda. Sometimes we don’t even look the same week to week. Thank you for that reminder to extend kindness and grace to ourselves. We are loved more than we can imagine. (And so are you, Brenda!)

  5. Thank you for sharing this beautiful affirming story that reminds us to see the beauty in others and ourselves. Wish we could thank the lady who showed us the way by affirming the beauty of the ladies in the salon!

  6. So poetic and beautiful, friend. I’m savoring these words: “Make every space that you are in sacred by speaking words that reflect our Father’s loving embrace: Just look at her over there — all of you are so beautiful.”

  7. One good thing that has happened over the past 2 pandemic years is since choosing to wear a mask, I haven’t worn any makeup. What a freeing experience. It’s made me realize that I don’t need to cover up who I am. My dark spots are there because I have played outside in the sun. My wrinkles are a testament to having lived 57 years of a blessed life and grown my soul. So since I am beloved by my Creator, I will go forward and choose to embrace what he sees in me. Not what the world says are flaws.

    • Oh Maura—this is a beautiful truth. And you are beautiful, too. Thank you for sharing. Our bare skin, the years that age us, the work that wears us down—through it all he looks at us and sees his beloved daughters. Amen, amen.

  8. Since my standing haircut is 7:30 am before work, just me & my stylist no others to encourage but I’m inspired to be the woman speaking words of truth & beauty to others around me wherever we r! Speaking clearly so God’s good word is heard!

    • Amen amen—and may that encouragement extend to your hairdresser and even beyond the walls of the salon! You are beautiful and beloved, Ruth—may reminders of grace meet you right where you are!

  9. Rachel thank you for that. What matter in life is how God see us all. The world would have us try look one way. But to God we are beautiful. Wart’s and all. As the saying goes. You know God knows all about us. He knows the very hairs on our heads. How amazing is that. If you go to YouTube. Type in the Father love letter. It will tell us the truth of what God thinks of us it is Amazing. He new us even before we born. He knit us in our Mothers womb. Amazing. So all thoes hair styles and different colours in the Hair dresser and the people behind them. God loves. Just like he loves me and you. So we have amazing God. We are beautiful and loved no matter what. We don’t need to go to hairdresser to get our hair done. In God eyes he will think no less of us only beautiful. God will not love us any less even if we don’t get our hair done. You can never stop God loving you. His word the Bible tell us that. Love Dawn Ferguson-Little Enniskillen Co.Fermanagh. N.Ireland.
    Xxx

    • Amen, Dawn. So true. And I just thought of that this morning, too. God knows the hair on our heads, knows the coming and going of every little sparrow. He loves us so. Even as we are. Amen, amen. May reminders of grace meet you where you are, today and this week <333

  10. ” Look up to see and call out the beauty and belovedness of others. Make every space that you are in sacred by speaking words that reflect our Father’s loving embrace: Just look at her over there — all of you are so beautiful.” You’ve given me a deep exhale this morning. Wow. Thank you for calling out the beauty in each of us! And indeed, as God’s image-bearers, His beloved daughters, we are beautiful!

  11. Thank you so much for this one. I needed it. I have gained a lot of weight over the past year and have been struggling with body image because of it. This reminded me that it’s all about the light we carry on the inside not how we or others perceive our outward image.

    • I have gained weight too, Dawn, due to a health condition that makes it hard for me to control that. Learning to find freedom in this earthly jar, and trusting the God who loves me as I am. I wish the same for you <33

  12. One of things I’m really looking forward too in Heaven, is finally “Seeing” everyone as God does. That is often my prayer. But I still see others, with filters: fat, thin, appealing, ugly, stinky, dirty, good, bad, etc…though I don’t want to.

    • I truly, truly look forward to that too—I think about this, often, and envision as much as I can. Amen to this coming to fruition. Until then, we do and love our best. Amen.

  13. Marie,

    There have been times in life when I felt I needed to “primp” even before going to town. As I’ve aged I take this song to heart “Just as I am”. Now I’m able to go to town without make up or fancy clothes. Jesus loves me no matter how I look or what I do. Knowing this I do my best to let others hear it. Daily I strive to speak words of affirmation over others. Letting them know they are noticed & loved-just for who they are.

    Blessings 🙂

  14. “”………..the width of our hips, the height of our body, the texture of our hair, the tone of our skin, the length of our eyelashes, the swell of our curves.””

    What about the narrowness of our waistlines, and the skin showing off our ribs. And the way our hip bones stick out when we walk.

    Width, Swell, Curves.

    It hurts me to see descriptive words like that and yet feel so left out.
    Please inlcude us skinny people too

    • Oh Tabitha, I didn’t mean to exclude anyone. I’m so sorry you felt left out of this piece, along with others. I wrote these lines so that any of us could insert ourselves within them. Your hips may be slim, small, straight (mine have always been straight), or curvy—no matter what, sweet sister, you are beautiful and so loved. Wishing you reminders of love and grace today, Tabitha <33

  15. Thank you for this really sweet thought, shared in the story form of ladies visiting at the Salon. Encouraging.