Silence and True Beauty

I wanted to share my favorite scene in the 1995 version the movie Persuasion by Jane Austen. The first 1 minute and 40 seconds is the part I wanted to show, but I can't get rid of the rest of the 8 minutes and 55 seconds! Oh well, I guess you'll just have to ignore the rest of it, O.K.? :-)

If you have never seen this movie, I believe that all three of us would highly recommend it! But for our purposes here today, I want to draw your attention to the young lady who is patiently listening while each person pores out their soul to her. Her name is Anne, and although she is fictional, don't you find yourself immediately drawn to her? To the casual viewer, she is doing nothing extraordinary. In fact, she really isn't doing anything at all. She's just listening, right? Absolutely. She tranquilly listens to each little complaint that she may or may not be able to fix, she delivers no judgement and takes no sides. Those of us who are accustomed to putting in our two cents worth in most conversations little realize the grace and self control this sort of demeanor requires. And here's the punch line: those of us who are children of God are required to posses this kind of spirit. In fact, the infallible scriptures state that this spirit is the only thing that produces true beauty.

Do not let your adornment be merely outward- arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel- rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God. 1Peter 3:3-4

Did you catch the words gentle and quiet? Titus 2:4-5 also has words of wisdom for women.

That they admonish the young women to....be discreet, chaste, homemakers, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be blasphemed.

I love that word "good". It sort of sums it all up, doesn't it? May we all, as God's children, exhibit that gentle and quiet spirit that is so precious in His sight so that we may be blameless, and the enemies of the Gospel be speechless.
posted by Lydia