Beautiful You

Medium hot chocolate, no whipped cream, in a "To Go" cup. Fifties tunes are playing today as I make my usual order. #1 has college classes MWF this semester, so I take advantage by dropping him off on Wednesdays and then working alone for a couple of hours at the local coffee house.
I have started to recognize people that frequent this shop.
The dark haired man who always sits at the tall table on an equally tall stool appears to be a lawyer. Behind me sit two Hispanic men who converse in a couple of languages. They always have their computers going, so I guess they are here on business. A few ladies sit at the front tables away from the guys. I choose the table between the men because it is small enough for one and sits by the windows. I like looking out as I contemplate how to write a particular phrase.
Although the music changes each Wednesday, sometimes folk, Willie Nelson, or Eighties Rock, the place still feels the same: homey and safe. Decorative plaques display sayings about coffee- I Drink Coffee for Your Protection- but others have sayings that contemplate a better way of living. Find a Reason to Smile. Good Friends Are Good Drinks.
The one that really causes me to think is the one in the bathroom mirror. A two-inch, calligraphic square says, You Are Beautiful. Imagine looking into the mirror everyday and hearing, "You are Beautiful!" Not just told that, but understanding the truth behind it, the sincerity.
I'm sure at this point you are expecting me to tell you that God thinks you are beautiful, that He wants you to be with Him for eternity He is so sincere about your beauty. While that is true, it probably won't make you feel or believe in your own beauty. I can't make you believe it; no one can but yourself. And the only way I have found to believe it is to continually read His word and see how sweetly and lovingly He looks at me.
Whenever I leave the coffee house I smell like it for a few hours. "You've been to Coffee Shack," sniffs #2 as I walk in the door. Sitting in God's Presence is like sitting in the Coffee Shack. You start to recognize friendly faces, you enjoy the music, your mind clears, and you feel refreshed. God's odor clings to you for hours afterward, a gentle reminder that you have been in His presence, and He has found you to be Beautiful.