The Untold Secret of her Beauty: A Story of Desperation to Inspiration

By JUPSHY JASMIN

Probably many of you know about the ancient Hebrew woman, Leah. She is famously known as the unattractive sister and wife who was never loved by her husband despite of her desperate prayer for his love. Like many of you, I was led to believe that Leah's experience was a story of defeat. However, her story was one of great victory and legacy. In my book, the untold secret of her beauty is found in the most uncommon place. Her inspirational message enables women to gain a new perspective of themselves from Leah's own struggle from desperation to magnificent glory. In a world that focuses on physical beauty, I am here to let you know, the time has come to roll out your own red carpet and embrace your uniqueness. You are beautiful despite of the beauty standards that society has set before us. Get ready to navigate the story of Leah in a way that will allow you to reclaim your dignity and confidence.

• Language: English
• Publisher: jupshy jasmin
• Release date: May 10, 2020
• ISBN: 9798201978426

JUPSHY JASMIN

Jupshy Jasmin, MSN, RN, graduated with honors from Nova Southeastern University with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing, and later, a Master of Science in Nursing. Ms. Jasmin is a Research Nurse and expert in medical record abstraction and data informatics. Currently, she is the Administrative Health Professional for the Florida International University Miami Adult Studies on HIV (MASH) Cohort Studies. She also featured on Miami Times, National Nurse Empowerment Institute, and Move Swiftly podcast. She is a connoisseur of ethic foods and loves to meet new people. 

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Introduction

Leah's story from the book of Genesis in the Holy Bible has always had a special place in my heart. In the Bible, Leah was described as the first daughter of Laban, Rachel's older sister, Jacob's first wife, and the mother to seven of Jacob's children. She is best known as the ugly sister who endured years of emotional hardship. For many years, I've believed that Leah's story was a story of defeat because she was a woman who became involved in a compromising situation. She had only one wish that was never granted. All she wanted was to experience love from her husband. She prayed faithfully, but God ignored her desperate cry repeatedly. In the end, it seems that she died without her prayer answered.

One day, the spirit of God opened my eyes to see the more profound truth of the story. Jacob may not have loved Leah, but God undoubtedly loved her. This revelation changed my life. God's silence does not mean divine inactivity.

Leah exemplifies faith through God's silence and teaches us to trust God, even when you cannot trace Him. He always has our best interest at heart. If you pray to God with all your heart, He will surely listen and bless you. God revealed to me that Leah's story is not just a depressing, ancient biblical story of two sisters involved in a love triangle. Leah's story, legacy, and contribution to the Jewish and Christian faiths have made remarkable history. Her linage continues to bless us today. Although Leah's experience was painful, she was a great woman of faith whose empowering message reminds us that our trust in God will not go unnoticed.

According to Hebrew 13:5 (NIV), the confidence we have as children of God is that He will never leave us helpless or without support. God's plan for his children's lives is to prosper us, give us hope and a future (Jeremiah 29:11, NIV). Even when situations place us at a disadvantage or others may overlook us, we know that we do not need others' approval to live a fruitful and abundant life. God's rating scale is unbiased and nondiscriminatory. Do not be discouraged because God sees you exactly where you are. While others will judge you by your appearance, where you are from, and what you did, God's scale surpasses these conditional earthly criteria.

I am not writing this book to paraphrase the story of Leah. Her story is too empowering to duplicate. The purpose is not to sound like a broken record, looping endlessly over the same tune repeatedly. I want women to read this book to gain a new perspective about themselves through Leah's story. Leah's story proves that societal inequalities related to physical imperfections have been around since ancient history.

The time has come to accept the body He has created for you and all the physical characteristics He has blessed you with. The texture of your hair, height, skin complexion, waist size, and body frame are all the work of God.

Be ready to navigate the story of Leah in a way that will allow you to reclaim your dignity and confidence. I truly believe that Leah's journey to magnificent glory is the testimony that many of us have been longing for. Considering that I am beautiful in God's eyes made a world of difference because I know that He created me in His image. It is time to end comparing attractiveness and the obsession with beauty enhancement and embark on the journey of confidence in God.

Chapter 1: Desperation

Genesis 29:17   (NIV)

Leah had weak eyes, but Rachel had a lovely figure and was beautiful.

Take a moment to think about your own life. Have you ever been compared to another woman? How did that make you feel?

Jacob, the son of Isaac and Rebekah, was instructed to find a wife from his mother's side. Jacob ran to the city of Haran in Northwest Mesopotamia to meet with his uncle and Rebekah's brother, Laban. Upon his arrival, he met Rachel at the well, and he instantly fell in love with her. As her father, Laban, welcomes him, he strikes up a deal with Jacob. Jacob would work seven years for Laban, and in turn, Laban would give Rachel's hand in marriage. Due to the family ties, Jacob trusted Laban through a verbal agreement without questioning the land's marriage customs. Laban took Jacob's ignorance for granted and did not clarify that he had to marry her first because Leah was older. Jacob worked his heart out in exchange for what he thought would be Rachel.

Let's try to imagine the day of their wedding. Knowing that he had completed his agreed labor, Jacob could not wait to finally have the wife that he had labored for all these years. Laban arranged a big feast and brought out his daughter, who wore a heavy veil. Given the occasion, Jacob was likely inebriated and did not realize that Leah was under the veil.

Imagine Leah getting ready for her big day, filled with excitement. The preparations, the festivity, and all the people were coming out to witness the marital celebration. Stirred with bridal jitters, Leah tried on her veil one last time. In Leah's culture, being married was an honor, and we can imagine that Leah had been waiting for this moment her whole life. Leah's dream was coming true. To be married and bear, children would give her a sense of purpose and honor.

At the end of the night, Leah was the happiest she had ever been as she rested in the arms of her husband.

The next morning, Jacob's sudden jump out of bed woke Leah from her blissful slumber. She arose to find the look of pure shock and horror on Jacob's face. He seemed confused, and his whole body was shaking. Before Leah could say a word, Jacob ran out of the room with anger.  Leah did not understand what was going on with her husband. That was not the reaction she was expecting the morning after their wedding celebration. The perplexity of his behavior was astonishing. Leah could not help but to get up out of bed to follow her husband. But before she could catch up to him, her heart dropped. She heard shouting between Jacob and Laban outside. 

Her father had tricked Jacob into marrying her, and Jacob was willing to be in servitude for an additional seven years for her beautiful sister, Rachel. Leah was crushed. The news debilitated Leah's limbs. She tried to remain strong, but her strength failed her. She tried to hold on to something for support; it was too late. Leah fell on the floor with a rush of tears running down her face. We can all agree that Leah will experience emotional hardship.

Have you ever been rejected before?

Jacob loved Rachel from the first time he laid eyes on her, and Laban knew that. However, due to their custom, Leah knew that she should be married first. Despite Laban's deceitful ways, it is quite possible that Leah was of marriageable age but never received any acceptable marriage proposals. This would explain why Laban felt that he had to trick Jacob into marrying her.

The Bible never explained why Jacob loved Rachel other than her physical attractiveness, so the love that he felt seems purely physical. It can be possible that Jacob did not spend much time getting to know the sisters before the wedding. In a culture where marriages were arranged, the couples did not go out on dates. They were expected to get to know each other after the wedding. In such a patriarchal society, daughters must obey their fathers. It is possible Leah and Jacob were deceptive and had no idea how their marriage was manipulated.  Laban likely misled Leah to believe that Jacob asked for her hand in marriage as it was customary for the older daughter to be the first to walk down the aisle.

By the end of the first week of marriage to Leah, Jacob took his second wife. Jacob accepted working a total of 14 years just for Rachel. Leaving Leah to doubt her self-worth brought her to a state of insecurity and a desperate need for validation. Due to her lack of conventional beauty, Leah denied the experience of being loved by Jacob. Unfortunately, those viewed as unattractive by societal standards are overlooked and miss out on life's opportunities.

Just like Laban felt the need to hide Leah under a veil, society will hide you under a veil to impersonate someone that you are not. A tactic used by influencers because of their opinion of beauty and lack of perception.

How would you feel in Leah's situation?

Rachel was conventionally beautiful and attractive. But the Bible was likely trying to be conservative by only pointing out a single unattractive feature of Leah without calling her ugly. It says Leah had weak eyes, but what did that mean? Although the Bible