“She was beautiful, not like those girls in the magazines. She was beautiful, for the way she thought. She was beautiful, for that sparkle in her eyes when she talked about something she loved. She was beautiful, for her ability to make other people smile even if she was sad. No, she wasn’t beautiful for something as temporary as her looks. She was beautiful, deep down to her soul.” {F. Scott Fitzgerald}

I’ve only lived just short of 18 years on earth. But in those 18 years I’ve been so fortunate to meet and know so many incredible individuals. Some people I’ve known my whole life, some joined me half way through and some just popped up completely unexpected but just at the right moments.

Some of the people I’ve met have those valuable, beautiful spirits I was talking about yesterday. They’re exterior beauty is the overflow of their beautiful soul that is hidden deep within. They love so fiercely, they care so deeply and they’re quiet souls so they never ask or look for more recognition or fame, they simply want to love.

These are the people I strive to be like.

I believe Jesus teaches us things through people. So he carefully places people in our lives exactly when we need them, even if we think we don’t need anyone else. He teaches us lessons through these people and sometimes he even uses them without their realizing it.

I have so many examples of when Jesus has placed beautiful souls in my life exactly when I needed them.

This summer he did that with Aliza and Danielle. Two beautiful souls, who I knew next to nothing about before summer started but then who taught me so much by the time summer ended.

He placed these two people in my life so unexpectedly.

Aliza just sat down beside me one day and told me to tell her about myself so I did and in exchange, she taught me so much about Jesus and my worth.

Danielle and I worked side by side with the little day campers all summer and she taught me so much about joy and how to love people.

Jesus introduced me to a beautiful soul in Haiti last year, the little twelve-year-old boy who taught me so much about smiling and praising Jesus in every situation.He gave me two beautiful souls when I was born, my parents, who have taught me how to live like Jesus did, and two beautiful souls in my brothers who teach me about patience and having fun.

He gave me beautiful souls in my best friends, who encourage me and build me up and just make me laugh.

                                     

These are just a handful of the beautiful souls that Jesus has placed in my life. There are so many more but it would take all month to name every one of those people. All of these beautiful souls are so unique and so special in their own ways but they are all so beautiful, deep down to their souls. I hope that Jesus keeps placing these people in my life; I hope he never stops teaching me things through people because I love knowing these beautiful souls.

This is day four of my 31 day series on finding beauty! If you’d like to read the rest of the posts, click on the photo above!