22 March | Youth
«For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.» 1 Samuel 16:7
Mary Ann was born into a humble family and, from an early age, had to work to help with the household finances. In her youth, she worked as a nurse. At that time, Mary was a beautiful and attractive girl who dreamed of having a family. Her dreams came true. She was 29 when she married Thomas Bevan, with whom she had four children. Both remained together for eleven years, until Thomas' premature death.
Years later, Mary began to have health problems: migraines, pain in her muscles and joints. No one knew what she had until the symptoms of her illness became increasingly evident: her skull elongated, her facial bones became prominent, and her feminine forms began to disappear. In a brief time, Mary lost her beauty completely.
The diagnosis was acromegaly, a syndrome associated with excessive production of growth hormones. The result is enlargement of bones, internal organs and soft tissues, accompanied by headaches. At the beginning of the 20 century, Mary Ann had no chance of recovery. Day after day, everyone noticed that her beauty was fading. Because of her appearance, she had difficulty getting a job. Everyone made fun of her or looked at her with disdain. How would she take care of her four children?
At that time, a contest arose in England to find out who the ugliest woman was. Upon learning that the prize would be a good amount of money, Mary signed up. You can imagine what happened: she won the contest.
Mary's life turned upside down. She was hired by a circus to be part of an exhibition of “exotic people,” as if she were some kind of monster. During her 59 years of life, although she made a lot of money by showing off her deformity, she was the subject of ridicule –all for the benefit of her children.
When I read this story, I reflected on Mary Ann's inner beauty, something worth noting. She used her own illness to support her family. For the Lord, the beauty of the heart is the only one that really matters. What beauty do you value?