Skin-deep Beauty

Skin-Deep Beauty

Charm is deceptive, and beauty does not last;but a woman who fears the LORD will be greatly praised.

Proverbs 31:30

Lying out in the sun makes me resemble sweet-and-sour pork more than a swimsuit model. Though I would love to grace the decks of a swimming pool with my version of Chinese takeout, who has the time?

Nervously, I entered a tanning salon to begin my transformation into Farrah Fawcett, poster girl. The receptionist looked me over and recommended I purchase a special set of nose plugs with tiny holes in them. This device and the short instructional video should have made me change my mind. But I was determined to fulfill my tanning fantasies without the aid of Revlon.

In a private room I removed my clothes, smoothed lotion on any dry extremities to prevent the tanning spray from clumping, and donned the standard-issue goggles. I stepped into the spray booth, striving to remember every detail of the video. Legs shoulder width apart, arms bent, fingers curled back, I managed to press the green start button.

An amber mist blasted my body, moving steadily upward. As it hit my face, I remembered that my special nose plugs were sitting on the table next to my clothes.

Snort. Gag. Gulp. I can’t breathe!

The spray ended as I gasped for air, my nostrils now filled with their own summer glow. Turning around, I tried to recall how much time I had before the vulgar, spitting machine continued engulfing me in the suffocating spray for which I had paid so dearly.

Snort. Heave. Wheeze.

Like a woman in labor, I puffed and panted, finally exploding from the booth.

Then I knew it was true: Charm is deceptive and beauty, like a spray-on tan, does not last.

—Jennie Nagy

Lord, help me foster lasting beauty that resonates from within my heart, a sweet offering to you in whose image and likeness I was created. Amen.