Did God Make the Wallflowers?

     Wallflowers: the girls not chosen by a dashing young man to dance. We’ve all seen them standing against the wall, searching for something to smile at, pretending not to care. But if we could see deep into their hearts, we’d find a universal truth.

     Wallflowers always care.

     No wants to be the one not chosen, the one seldom included. But not all Wallflowers stand unnoticed at dances. Bible Study Wallflowers sit in the back seat at their classes. She’s the lady with the hurting heart who hasn’t the courage to tell anyone her sorrows. No one purposely sits with her, but a few nod polite smiles.

     Or there’s the First-Visit-to-a-New-Church Wallflower. Everyone else greets and visits with family and friends while the Church Wallflower sits by herself often so lonely she’d give anything for a true friend, but too shy to crash in on the church family’s party.

     Perhaps the toughest of wallflowers is the Home Wallflower: the mom whose family expects her to cook, clean, and keep the carpool running, but seldom stop long enough to inquire if she has any needs.

     Wallflowers feel invisible. No one notices them standing at the edges of life, longing for a scrap of appreciation or a morsel of delight.

     In Chapter Two of Do You Think I’m Beautiful, Angela Thomas assures us: God has no wallflowers. He calls every single one of us to the ballroom of His love. Angela writes: “Our hearts have been made to cry out for a love that can come only from our Creator.”

     So join us as we explore our relationship with this God who calls out everyone who feels like a wallflower to join Him in a dance. Every single one. Even you.

Do You Think I'm Beautiful....Chapter One

It is like a scene from a sitcom. My husband paces at the door. An occasional “Are you ready yet?” rumbles back to the bedroom where I am preparing for a big night out. My darling spouse threw on a pair of pants, grabbed a shirt, sniffed his armpits to assess the need for deodorant and maybe brushed his teeth. That’s it. He was good to go.
The lovely gathering of friends we are anticipating caused a slightly different response in me. I tried on every outfit I own and disqualified most of them. Last year’s bell bottoms—too dated. Tan slacks—pleats starting to pull. Slinky red skirt—gasp! Visible panty lines! Plaid skirt—too short. White dress—no way. It’s way past Labor Day. Can’t wear the open shoes because I haven’t had a pedicure. Don’t dare try to pull off the orange knit without a body smoother.
All of this went on a week before the event. Once I decided on an ensemble, it had to be laundered, pressed, de-linted, and properly accessorized. Scarf or necklace? Hoops or studs? Flats or pumps? And I was just getting started.
Men have no idea the pressure we face any time we step outside the door. We have set up a strict code of behavior for ourselves and each other. Why would we be so consumed with how we and our fellow females present ourselves to the world? I think we do it so we can check some rules off before departure and by following those standards have some kind of confidence.
I may not be super model thin, but I have concealed with a tube of Lycra the lump of fat that squishes out from under my bra. Just like I am supposed to. My hair might be a ball of frizz, but I have coated each strand with moisturizing, volumizing, de-kinkifying gel. Check. Thick ankles run in my family, so I wear dark hose with matching color shoes to create a long, lean look. Okay, now I can face the world.
In chapter one of Angela Thomas’ book, Do You Think I Am Beautiful?, she talks about our deep need to know we are beautiful and Who can fulfill that desire. The boost we get by following the do’s and don’ts is short-lived. All it takes is a broken nail, a run in a stocking or a stray glob of lipstick on the teeth to undo us. The compliment we long to hear doesn’t come from the whistles of construction workers or even a “Wow” from our husbands.
It comes from the One who designed us and sees every wrinkle, every zit, every bump of cellulite. Angela Thomas takes us on the adventure to find the source of our confidence and security. To know finally and for always that yes, we are beautiful.

Dance With Us

     ROAD ministries is asking the ladies of the Rio Grande Valley to dance with us, step by step, right up to the grand ball on February 12 & 13, 2010!

     Angela Thomas, a nationally acclaimed speaker and best selling author, will be here in February to help us find our deepest passions and allow God to wrap us in His arms for the dance that lasts right into eternity.

     Here on the ROAD blog, we’re going to talk about each chapter of Angela’s best-selling book, Do You Think I’m Beautiful, to prepare our hearts to receive the message she will share at the conference.

The blog is a place where we can discuss, share, weep, and pray together. So we invite every lady in the Rio Grande Valley to dust off your dancing shoes and prepare to draw out the Cinderella in all of us.

Only this isn’t a fairy tale. We promise you.