Recapturing Beauty

I had the opportunity to go to a fireside sponsored by the Recapturing Beauty campaign the Women's Services and Resources at BYU is running. The speaker was Stephanie Nielson, an incredible plane crash survivor. She entitled her story as "Finding & Loving Your Beauty."

Stephanie and her husband were involved in a very severe plane crash a little over two years ago. She and her husband both survived, with severe burns all over their arms legs, face, and body. Their friend Doug, who was in the plane with them, were not so lucky. However, the word "lucky" is not a word that everyone would use. She was three months in a coma and several months covered from head to toe in bandages as doctors were continually performing reconstructive and skin grafting surgeries. Surgeries which are not over with even now. With over 84% of her body covered in burns, the body that Stephanie once knew as her own was lost. Unrecognizable. She did not know herself. Her children did not know her.

She let us into her miraculous journey of pain and discovery. Of coming to understand just how sacred and amazing our bodies are...even when they're not perfect! That who we are on the inside, the beauty from your own light, this is who we are.

"Though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day."
2 Corinthians 4:16

I was honored to be in the presence of such an elect lady. Not many could bear the trial she was entrusted with. With the severity of the crash and her injuries she should not have survived. But she did. Stephanie now reaches out and blesses so many with her example and love. She has so much courage. So much faith. So much resolve and strength and endurance. Stephanie is happy. Stephanie is hopeful. Stephanie is full of life and light.

I hope I can be a little more like Stephanie Nielson.

If you want to find out more about Stephanie and her story check out her blog:

http://nieniedialogues.blogspot.com/

This is a short video of Stephanie's story:

My-New-Life