dudich_judyToday, we're happy to welcome Judy Dudich to the CatholicMom.com family of contributors.  Look for Judy's columns every Wednesday and visit her at Homeschool Faith and Family Life for more information and encouragement.

We have all heard (and perhaps even used) the expression: "Beauty is Within"...

Scripture even tells us in

Proverbs 27:19 "As the face is reflected in water, so the heart reflects the person"...

Wow...that's a BIG one!

Think for a moment, when coming upon a still, clear stream, how EASILY you see your own reflection when you look into it!

NOW think for a moment, that this is how easily our "person" is reflected in the "stream" of our heart!

I was taken aback  for a moment when meditating on this passage.

It made me question myself: Is my "stream" clear, cool, inviting, and lovely? Or, is it murky, dark, rough, and contaminated?

What are we "reflecting" as we go about our days? What do our children see in our "stream"....what do our husbands see? What does our neighbor see?

All of the times that I am impatient, or neglectful, or lazy, or irritated, or short-tempered, or selfish...these are times that I am POLLUTING the "stream of my heart".

Create in our hearts, oh Lord, A CRYSTAL CLEAR STREAM...one that is such so that if others look into it the reflection they see is YOURS!

Whether it is offering a smile, taking a moment to tie your little one's shoe (for the UMTEENTH time), picking your husband's clutter up out of the doorway WITHOUT saying a word, sending a hand-made note to a far away friend, or singing while you work...these are little ways to show BEAUTY...TRUE BEAUTY...

It doesn't really matter that our figures have "changed"...or that we've had our hair in a pony tail for a week...it doesn't matter that our chairs don't match...or that our children don't have designer clothing...

It DOES matter what we are giving from our HEARTS.

And, if our hearts have become a stream that is less than clear, we must go to the Lord, and ask His mercy and forgiveness...and then OPEN OURSELVES after we EMPTY OURSELVES, so that HE  MIGHT  BE THE SOURCE THAT FILLS OUR HEART'S STREAM...and then...OUR TRUE BEAUTY CAN SHINE!

Copyright 2010 Judy Dudich