Lessons Learned as a Beauty Queen

This morning  I woke with a vivid memory of a conversation I had years ago.  Actually it was two conversations, with two different sets of judges for two local beauty pageants.  My experience as a beauty queen was short lived, but never the less life changing!  And obviously these two conversations impacted me significantly enough to be brought to mind again today.

What made these two conversations stand out was how different they were!

The first time I appeared before judges was for the Miss Lipscomb County pageant held on the 4th of July.  I had often dreamed of being Miss America as a young girl, but never dreamed I would ever be in a real pageant.  I write more about that part of the story in my E-book called "What's Your Story Telling You?" (If you would like a free copy, go to my website, www.greenhopecoaching.com) 

But now through a miraculous turn of events, I was preparing to walk into the judges chambers.   I was so excited just to be included in all the festivities. I had no expectation of winning so I had nothing to lose and everything to gain as I spoke with them.  I shook out any jitters I had before i walked in.  I engaged them fully, answering their questions with delight and even asking them questions about their families and careers.  We laughed together and I thoroughly enjoyed my time with them.

The next time was not so enjoyable.  This time I was competing for Miss Wheatheart.  This time I knew what was at stake.  I knew what it meant to win and was afraid  to lose. I saw everyone as competition. I couldn't shake off the fear in the interview with the judges, so I responded nervously and was consumed with what they wanted  from me rather than who I was.

So what did I learn from this?

NOTE to self:

Shake out the jitters so you can

Be who you are!

Engage others-not to be consumed by them, but be authentically interested in them.

Laugh together

Live as if you have nothing to lose!

     Everything to gain!

So anyway, what does any of this have to do with Advent?  Well, I asked the Lord the same question.  What does an ordinary high school girl who had nothing to lose have to do with the Christ Child coming to us?

His answer was "Everything!"

First of all, at His coming He had everything to lose.

John 1 tells us

In the beginning the Word already existed.

     The Word was with God,

     and the Word was God.

2 He existed in the beginning with God.

3 God created everything through him,

    and nothing was created except through him.

4 The Word gave life to everything that was created,

   and his life brought light to everyone.

5 The light shines in the darkness,

    and the darkness can never extinguish it.

Imagine! Being with God AND being God!  Existing at the beginning!  Creating all that was to be!

Having the ability to give life to everything that was created and in that life, bring light that can never be put out.

But then comes vs 10

He came in the very world he created, but the world didn't recognize him.

11 He came to his own people, and even they rejected him.

He who had it all- who WAS all- made His entrance before humans who became His judge!  And they deemed Him not good enough.  They rejected Him, and therefore rejected the Lift and Light that He brought with him.

Those who have lost- whether it's a job, or relationship, perhaps a loved one, (or a myriad of other losses) know what it is like to lose. We know the pain, the ache that cuts deep to the core of who we are.  We know that if we had a choice- we would not choose to lose something so central to who we are, especially if we knew that our sacrifice would not be received after we made it.  Yet even knowing that would happen, He came!  So that an ordinary little high school girl trying desperately to figure out how to live could find LIFE itself.

12 But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God.

13 They are reborn- not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan,

     but from a birth that comes from God.

14 So the Word became a human and made his home among us.  He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness.  And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father's one and only Son.

Pasted from http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John%201&version=NLT;

How grateful I am!  How about you?  What is God saying to you this Advent season?

I encourage you to take a moment to listen right now!  Open your eyes to SEE His Light!

Seeing GREEN HOPE!