The Boy Who Called Me Beautiful

Welcome to the September edition of Exemplify with Elizabeth Zion!

I'm so glad you stopped by to read this month's reflections.

As some of you know, I’ve been on a journey I’ve dreamed about for years. Today I write from my little hotel room in Osaka, Japan, having already passed through Germany, France, the Netherlands, and even a short stop in Beijing PKX, where I heard worship music floating through the airport speakers. Unbelievable!!!

In Seoul, I visited two churches: an evangelical Korean-American congregation and a traditional Catholic Mass at Myeongdong Cathedral. As you can imagine, I’ve been reflecting a lot on this journey I am on, traveling, experiencing new places, and making it a priority to go to church wherever I find myself. There’s something so powerful about walking into a congregation in a different culture and realizing the Spirit of God is the same everywhere. The songs may sound different, the language may shift, but the presence of Jesus is familiar, alive, and real.

Passport Privilege

One of the things I don’t take for granted is the privilege of even being here. Holding an Irish passport opens doors that many around the world can only dream of. I am so aware that freedom to travel is not equally shared. For many, borders are walls rather than gateways.

This reality feels especially close to home. My family didn’t have the privilege to travel for the first ten years we lived in Ireland. I remember lying to my classmates about places I had “visited,” because I wanted to belong, because I didn’t want my lack of travel to mark me as different. Looking back, I think it's hilarious but with every stamp I receive on my passport I feel the little girl inside of me rejoice.

Now, years later, to actually step into the places I once only imagined, not as a lie but as a lived experience, is deeply humbling. Privilege is not something to boast in, but something to steward. If God has given me the chance to see more of the world, then I want to carry those experiences with humility, gratitude, and responsibility.

The Seeds of Geography

When I think back, this makes sense. As a little girl, geography was my favorite subject. I loved learning about countries, capitals, and maps. I remember being fascinated by faraway places I had never seen, tracing borders with my finger and imagining the people who lived there. I was actually that kid who in my free time would test myself to see how many capitals I could remember 🤣 🤣 (which is why I dominate at Stadt, Land, Wort (Categories in English!!! ))

Looking back now, I realize God planted those seeds early. He gave me a curiosity for nations long before I ever boarded a plane. And today, as I travel, I see those childhood fascinations unfolding into reality.

The Boy Who Called Me Beautiful

While at church in Seoul, God reminded me again that He works through both the big and the small.

As we went to sit down for service, I noticed a little boy staring at me. Three times during worship I caught his eyes. At first I thought maybe he wasn’t used to seeing foreigners or Black people often.

But after the service he ran up to me, hugged me, and said, “You’re pretty.” That’s when I realized he hadn’t been staring out of confusion, he had been falling in love in real time 🤣

He proudly showed me a little panda he had made from paper plates. He told me its name was Golden, because he liked my jewelry, and he asked me to keep it. He held my hand tightly and even called me his number one. I told him Jesus has that place, so he quickly made me number two 🤣 My husband teased that he was jealous about losing his wife, and we all laughed.

But behind the laughter, something very tender was happening in me.

I know the beauty standards in Asia. I know the messages about skin, hair, and features. A lady in Myeongdong even suggested I start whitening products 😭 As a teenager, that would have cut me deeply, at 15, I tried to bleach my skin. It’s been a long and worthy journey. Today I know I’m beautiful in God’s eyes, yet the boy’s words still reached something deeper.

A child, with innocent eyes and no hesitation, simply called me pretty. He held onto me, named his creation “Golden” in my honor, and didn’t want to let go.

It was precious to me. Because years ago, the little girl I once was struggled to see her own beauty. And here God used the voice of a child to whisper again what I already know now, you are beautiful, you are loved, you are seen.

Golden Moments

I walked away from that service carrying more than a paper panda. I carried a reminder of the way God works.

He speaks through passports and privilege, opening doors to nations. He stirs old childhood loves, like geography, into lifelong callings. And He whispers healing truths through the simplest encounters, even through the eyes of a child in church.

These are golden moments. They remind me that life with God is not about chasing the spectacular but noticing His hand in both the vast and the ordinary.

And they remind me of something else too: sometimes, the way we look at someone can be the very thing that heals them.

I hope you enjoyed this edition.

Until next time,

Elizabeth