“Do not let your adorning be external… but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God’s sight is very precious.” (1 Peter 3:3-4, ESV)
The hidden person of the heart.
Imperishable beauty.
A gentle and quiet spirit.
Did the Apostle Peter have a glimpse into the world of Tic Tok and Instagram when he wrote these words? Did he have a sense that in 2024 the vice of external beauty would contort the identity and crush the souls of women young and old?
Hidden.
Not vacant. Not absent. Hidden.
An anchor point for the beauty that is precious in the sight of God.
Unavailable on a selfie. Exposed in character. Amplified in service.
I was introduced to such a woman in 1955. A mother of six. A wife to a globally committed missionary. Grace was tall, slender, elegant, and gritty. Imperishable beauty described her until the day she died in 2010.
Twenty years after I met Grace, I met Eunice. The introduction was appropriately cool as I began to woo her youngest daughter. In 1978, when Mary became my wife, Eunice’s embrace was genuine and generous.
Eunice. A woman who grew up in austerity in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. The daughter of Finnish immigrants. The wife of a winsome and engaging husband.
A heart anchored in faith.
Selfless.
Hidden, but present.
Strong and determined.
Private, but teachable.
Grace first. Then Eunice.
Mothers who lived what Peter commended.
No smart phone necessary to highlight their beauty. They modeled what Christ commends.
Imperfectly. But courageously.
They are not a relic. They are a beacon to show the way.
Hidden people of the heart.
Imperishable beauty.
Showing the way. Guiding… even now. Even in their absence. No photo album required.
Fully adorned by the love of Christ.
Externally beautiful as well, but rooted in the rich soil of godly character. Inside. Then outside.
First
things, first.
Grace. Eunice.
What a gift. What a guide.
Mother’s Day. A classroom. A curriculum.
Women to be cherished and commended.
Women who showed the way. Women we still do.
They are missed. They are treasured.
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