“Let us make man in our image and likeness.” — Genesis 1:26

When God created the world, He chose to make us in His image.

Do you know what actually makes humans different from every other species?

It’s not that we’re the most brilliant, or the most skilled—you could easily argue otherwise. What truly sets us apart is this:
We have the ability to discern.

To choose what is right or wrong.
To recognize what is a blessing—and what is a curse.
What is good—and what is harmful.

But even more than that—we have the ability to imagine something in our minds and bring it into reality.

A writer imagines a story, and a book is born.
An inventor dreams up a device, and suddenly it’s in homes and offices around the world.
Steve Jobs imagined the iPad long before developing the iPhone.

Yes, a spider weaves a web. A bee makes honey. But their creation is bound by instinct.
Ours is not.

We can dream up abstract ideas and build what never existed before.
And that’s because we were made in the image and likeness of the Creator—
the One who said:

“Let there be light.”
“Let there be waters and sea, and every living creature.”

And then, He turned to Himself and said,

“Let us make man in our image.”

It doesn’t matter if you’re a teacher, an artist, a barista, or a stay-at-home mother creating a home for your family—
it’s in your DNA to create.

To bring value into the world.
To reflect the One who made you.

Or as Jesus said,

“Whoever believes in Me, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” (John 7:38)

 

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Created to Bless and Be Blessed

I truly believe every one of us has been given gifts—
and that God desires to express His goodness through us.
Through your voice.
Through your work.
Through your creativity.

And that leads me to one of my favorite stories in Scripture:
The Parable of the Minas, found in Luke 19.

The story goes like this:

There was a nobleman—a man of high status and authority—who was preparing to leave his land for a long journey.

Before departing, he called ten of his servants and gave each of them one mina.
(A mina was a form of currency—let’s just say it was roughly $100.)

Each servant received the same amount.
And the master instructed them to use it—to invest it, to multiply it, to do some good with what they were given.

When the master returned, two of the servants came back with reports of growth:

“Master, your $100 has earned five hundred more.”
“Master, I’ve doubled it.”

The nobleman was pleased. He rewarded their faithfulness by entrusting them with even greater responsibility and honor.

But then another servant came forward and said,

“Master, I was afraid of you. I know you’re a harsh man, so I hid your money in a cloth. Here—it’s all still here.”

The master grew angry.
That wasn’t the assignment.

He hadn’t asked for perfection—He had asked for stewardship.
For faith in action.

He didn’t want his gift hidden in fear.

So he took the one mina from that servant and gave it to the one who had multiplied his the most.

 

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What’s the Takeaway?

Each and every one of us has been given gifts by God.

We’re not expected to know everything.
We’re not expected to be perfect.
But we are expected to be good stewards of what we’ve been given—
whether it’s our talent, our time, or our resources.

God calls us to make the most of what’s in our hands.
To use our gifts to bring value and beauty into the world.

Yet so many of us hide those gifts out of fear:
Fear of failure.
Fear of what people will think.
Fear of not showing up perfectly.

But here’s the truth:
The only way to truly fail is to do nothing at all.

It’s not our responsibility to have all the answers.
It is our responsibility to show up—
to offer what we can,
with what we have,
and trust that what we have is exactly enough. 

 

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Great Work Begins Small

I recently watched the film Cabrini, which tells the incredible true story of Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini—the first American citizen to be declared a saint.

She was a Catholic nun who left Italy for New York in 1889 after witnessing the horrific poverty and inhumane conditions that thousands of Italian immigrant families were living in.

Her mission was to serve this community, in providing an orphanage and a safe home; to give them humane living conditions.

She was fighting for good, and still faced enormous opposition—from the government, from city authorities, and even from the Church itself—when she tried to serve this struggling community.

Still, she refused to back down.
She kept going.
She kept believing.
She kept serving.

Over time, her faithfulness began to open doors. Her credibility grew, and she gained the support of wealthy backers.

And that one mission?
It sparked the creation of more than 60 institutions—schools, hospitals, and orphanages across the U.S., Central and South America, and Europe.

One nun.
A small team of twelve.
Almost no money.
And yet—massive, lasting impact.

All because she nourished a small seed of faith, that said "no, I can do something." 

Now, granted, many of us aren’t saintly nuns founding global missions. But the same truth applies: When we step forward in faith and work with what we have, no matter how seemingly small, God uses this for His extraordinary plan. It may not manifest today, or next year, or even in this lifetime. But God is always weaving purpose through our obedience.

 

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Brilliance Is Born in the Unseen

That nudge might look like a desire to express yourself—to write, to share an encouraging word, to bake, to design, to build, to bring a little more beauty into the world.  

Take J.K. Rowling, for example.
Before Harry Potter ever existed, she wrote countless stories—short scenes and unfinished drafts—none of which were published at first.

What some might have called “failure” was actually preparation.
It was her imagination stretching and strengthening—until one day, a boy named Harry Potter appeared in her mind.

Without all that unseen practice, I doubt she would’ve simply woken up one morning and said, “Hello, Harry Potter.”

Each rejected manuscript was a stepping stone toward her legacy.

And then there are the countless people who are doing good work quietly and faithfully—people no one knows by name.

They don’t have a platform or following, yet their impact is known where it matters most.
There are celebrities in heaven’s eyes walking among us every day—ordinary people doing extraordinary good, unseen by the world.

Because God doesn’t look at outward appearance.

“The Lord looks at the heart.” — 1 Samuel 16:7

He’s not impressed by status, influence, or followers.
He’s moved by the posture of the heart.

And he wants to know "What are you doing with the gifts I have given you?"

 

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The Journey of Grace of Belle

If you’ve been here since the beginning, you know Grace of Belle started as something very different from what it is today.

In fact, if you’d like to read the full story, you can find it in my other blog (linked below).

All I knew in those early days was that I had this deep desire to create something feminine and beautiful. I had an undeniable appetite to create.

So I started experimenting—trying, learning, and putting one foot in front of the other to see what felt right. I went from drop-shipping products to handcrafting little items, and even dabbling in simple blogging.

Eventually, I hit a wall. As you can imagine, it wasn’t paying the bills.
So I took a step back, got a traditional job, and pressed pause for about two years.

But even during that pause, Grace of Belle never left my heart.
Something in me just kept whispering, “Don’t shut it down.”

When I returned to this space after that much-needed break, I was different.
My desire to create looked different too.

That’s when Grace of Belle began to evolve into what it is now—
a space for faith, motherhood, marriage, womanhood, and growth.

You might wonder, what does  'Grace of Belle' mean now?

What’s funny is, when I first chose the name seven years ago, I didn’t even know what it truly meant.

My middle name is Grace, and I’ve always loved the name Belle—it felt elegant and feminine… maybe even something I’d name a horse one day. That was about as deep as it went.

But when Grace of Belle was reborn into something new, I started to wonder:
should I change the name? Start fresh?

Then came this quiet realization:
maybe the name was never random.
Maybe it spoke to my spirit long before I understood why.

Because grace is God’s greatest gift to us—
it’s what allows us to experience beauty, forgiveness, and love.

And belle—the French word for “beautiful”—reminds me that true beauty extends far beyond outward appearance.

It’s the beauty of a woman who walks in the awareness of God’s grace over her life.

That’s the heart behind this space:
to see grace and beauty in every part of life—
in motherhood, marriage, friendship, creativity, and faith.

So this is my new beginning.
Grace of Belle—reborn.

And every messy, imperfect start was completely worth it to arrive here, in my humble new beginning. 

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In Closing

Thank you for being here.

I hope this story reminds you that no beginning is too small,
no idea too simple,
and no gift too insignificant in God’s hands.

May you continue to see the beauty and grace in every corner of your life—
and partner with God in all the ways He has called you to create.

Go in grace—and go create. 🤍

With love,
Natalie Grace

 

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Grace of Belle: Where Beauty Meets His Grace

How Grace of Belle Was Born (and Reborn): https://www.graceofbelle.ca/blogs/news/the-journey-of-grace-of-belle

Check out the podcast: https://www.graceofbelle.ca/pages/podcast

Join the community: https://www.graceofbelle.ca/pages/sign-up