Canaries with Gray on Their Wings

“The Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.”

(1 Samuel 16:7)

This article I'm going to post is from the monthly publication of my church. It may seem contrary to what I have been saying - that we are, each of us, beautiful. But I have been thinking this weekend about how beauty is something holistic. It is neither just superficial nor is it just a matter of the heart. I used to think that when someone said that, "It's what's on the inside that counts", they were really saying, "Well, you're not very pretty, but you are a nice girl." That didn't really make me feel better. Like all women, I want to be beautiful. But I think this weekend I realized what they mean. Society's idea of beauty is constantly in flux. Random fashion elites decide what is "in" and what is "not", and lots and lots of people make lots and lots of money convincing women that they are never good enough until they buy this product. But real beauty is something much more stable than that. One girl who responded to my request for pictures sent me one of her, not in a moment when she felt well-primped, but in a moment when she felt triumphant, victorious, in a word - beautiful. This article I think hits on that idea - real, true beauty.

By Thomas S. Monson*:

"Nearly 60 years ago, while I was serving as a young bishop, Kathleen McKee, a widow in my ward, passed away. Among her things were three pet canaries. Two, with perfect yellow coloring, were to be given to her friends. The third, Billie, had yellow coloring marred by gray on his wings. Sister McKee had written in a note to me: 'Will you and your family make a home for him? He isn’t the prettiest, but his song is the best.'

"Sister McKee was much like her yellow canary with gray on its wings. She was not blessed with beauty, gifted with poise, or honored by posterity. Yet her song helped others to more willingly bear their burdens and more ably shoulder their tasks.

"The world is filled with yellow canaries with gray on their wings. The pity is that so precious few have learned to sing. Some are young people who don’t know who they are, what they can be or even want to be; all they want is to be somebody. Others are stooped with age, burdened with care, or filled with doubt—living lives far below the level of their capabilities.

"To live greatly, we must develop the capacity to face trouble with courage, disappointment with cheerfulness, and triumph with humility. You ask, “How might we achieve these goals?” I answer, “By gaining a true perspective of who we really are!” We are sons and daughters of a living God, in whose image we have been created. Think of that: created in the image of God. We cannot sincerely hold this conviction without experiencing a profound new sense of strength and power. [and beauty!!!]"

"To live greatly" - wouldn't that make you feel beautiful?

Amy (and Brennan)

Chelsea

~ With this picture, Chelsea said, "I guess most pregnant women just feel ugly and fat at this stage. Thinking back to that time, that's exactly how I flet, but looking at this picture now I feel like I can appreciate more how I looked by knowing that my beautiful (almost 5 year old) baby girl was growing inside of me."

Rachel (and a friend)

Diana

Kelsey

*Just a few notes for friends of other faiths. A bishop is a leader of a congregation (like a pastor) and Thomas Monson (the author) currently serves as the President of The Church of Jesus Christ, our prophet.