Feminism, The Woman, and God

I find this image the perfect example of a beautiful, feminine lady,who not only carries an air of innocent beauty and grace but also a wistful, and perhaps enchanting look. From any person's point of view - be they man, woman, or even child, this young girl appears not only tender, calm and loving, but also very much her own person.
She is, I feel, a very good example to begin with.

Over the past few years (years, and recently, months), God has been revealing to me many things about myself, about who I was created to be - and also who I was not. By that I mean that my identity was not wrapped up in someone or something else, neither was it determined by how hard, or by what or who I tried to be.
God has been teaching me (and I slowly learning) about not only seeing and becoming the person He intended me to be, but the incredible beauty of that - not in the worldly sense of beauty, but in the sense of a sense of being, of perfection, of all being good, and as it was meant to be. True beauty is not based on appearance at all - but goes beyond, deeper, and further into things we cannot understand. God is beauty, perfection and goodness. Only when we understand that can we even begin to grasp the concept of beauty.

It is this 'beauty' in myself that I am finally seeing, and appreciating, and even loving. Not in a vain way, nor in a false way, but as one in awe of the incredible person God has created me to be - and the many parts to that person.

Now, the point of my further topics is not necessarily myself, but rather a series of revelations regarding what I feel the Lord is directing me to write on.

Particularly, as I am a female, and a young woman, and this is now my identity - I feel it is very important for even myself to understand exactly who I was made to be - and who I was not. I feel this may become a series of very interesting revelations - which hopefully can teach me something along the way.

I also know that there is so much locked up in this 'woman' (I do speak particularly to girls here, but guys, please do read) that affects us on the outside, and the physical expressions of sometimes, trying to be that person when we don't know how - anorexia, eating disorders, depression - I've had experience in some of these realms. I know that while some of this is rooted in our grasp on life, it is also very much rooted in our acceptance of who we are - or rather, not - and who we were made to be - and as women, gender plays a huge part in it. Our gender does define who we are, just as much as our personality does - and there's no escaping it - nor should there be.

I hope (and pray) that someone will read this series of revelations and be encouraged, and learn (as I am sure I will also) to embrace, welcome and see as true beauty - the person we are -and for me, that means as a woman - because God made me that way.