Let me introduce you to Mary Ann Bevan, voted the ugliest woman in the world.

As you can see, Mary Ann was an attractive young woman. Born in 1874, she studied to become a nurse. She married, had four children, and life was good. But at age 32, she developed acromegaly, a disorder caused by excess growth hormone. This caused abnormal growth, which led to a distortion of her face. She was plagued with severe headaches and worsening eyesight.

Then life got worse. Her husband died, leaving her to raise four children alone. Although she was trained as a nurse, she couldn’t get steady work because of her condition and appearance. So, she took advantage of her condition and entered an “Ugliest Woman” competition. She won, beating out 250 other women.

Why would she humiliate herself in this way? She loved her kids and was determined to provide for them. And that is exactly what she did.

At age 46, Mary Ann joined a circus sideshow. For the next 13 years (until her death in 1933), Mary Ann appeared in circuses so that people could gawk at the world’s ugliest woman. But she did a beautiful thing in the process. Her children were loved. They grew, were fed, and got a good education.

Mary Ann Bevan may not have lived up to the world’s fickle standards for beauty, but I’ll venture that her children saw her as beautiful. Behind her tragic physical ailments was a kind and loving woman who was willing to sacrifice any pride for the sake of those she loved.

And that’s why I think the world’s ugliest woman was, in reality, the world’s most beautiful woman.

The Lord’s words to Samuel the prophet are perfectly applicable here:

“Do not look at his appearance or his stature because I have rejected him. Humans do not see what the Lord sees, for humans see what is visible, but the Lord sees the heart” (1 Sam. 16:7).

Happy Mother’s Day to all of you who loved us as children (and still do). Bask in the love and value God has placed on you. And may the rest of us be a conduit of that love to you.

“Her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband also praises her: ‘Many women have done noble deeds, but you surpass them all!’ Charm is deceptive and beauty is fleeting, but a woman who fears the Lord will be praised” (Prov. 31:28-30).

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Banner photo by Ahmet Sali on Unsplash.