This is a thought that has been going through my head for the last little while. I guess actually it was a feeling that lead to a thought.
The last several months we have been going to some of the most beautiful places in the world. Like for real. I’ve been to some beautiful places in my lifetime but never so many places in such a small amount of time as in the last several months.
I love finding and experiencing beauty in small and big ways in life. That is something that my mom taught us as kids and as we grew up. She taught us to see and appreciate the beautiful things around us. More than a few times did she come into the house and get everyone to come outside to see the sunset, or the moon, or a blooming flower, or some other exciting thing. Most people would not even notice. But she did. And she taught us too also.
I say all of this to try to explain how much I love seeing a beautiful landscape, whatever the terrain might be, or old or unique buildings, or finding beauty in the people that I see and interact with.
In times past however, the immense beauty was usually a bit more spread out. Not so packed together in such a small amount of time and experience.
And the strange thing that I discovered I was feeling, was that I was having a hard time continuing to value the beauty I was getting to be apart of. Sure, I saw it. I even noted it was pretty. But I was starting to struggle with truly valuing it. I was becoming immune to it. Not apathetic, but immune.
This bothered me. This trait of appreciating the big and small beauties all around me is one of my favorite qualities in myself. I believe it is something that God as gifted me with. It reminds me to look towards and thank our Creator for His genius and His love towards us. It draws me closer to Him on a regular basis. And I felt like I was loosing it in a sense.
Last week God started showing me something though. It was just a small inkling of something huge. My experience of struggling to value the beauty around me is nothing new. It’s actually one of the biggest battles that people face, especially nowa days. They don’t see the beauty in their wives or husbands anymore. They don’t see the beauty in their families. They don’t see the beauty in their calling or their jobs or the beauty in where they live or the people they get to do life with. Those relationships or friendships don’t spark interest and intrigue anymore. They’ve become immune to their surroundings. They don’t see. They don’t value. And they’re missing it.
Like I said, this is nothing new, it’s actually something that I am extremely passionate about. But it’s something that God had to remind me of last week. When seeing the beauty around us is not coming naturally to us for a time, we have to choose it. We have to choose to see the beauty around us. To choose to see the landscape, the buildings, the big and the small. And especially to see the people. We must choose to see the beauty in the people in our lives. These friendships and relationships are what make up some of the most beautiful things we get to come in contact with. And when we choose to see the beauty in the Gospel and in all Christ has done and continues to do for us, that is when we find the lens in which to truly value and appreciate the beauty around us.
So, I’m choosing to choose. I’m choosing to live in a way of constant awe of all that God has created and to see the glory that creation, people, and relationships shine. I’m choosing to see the beauty.
Will you join me in this pursuit?
