As I begin to process month one in writing, one word seems to describe just about every scene and moment of my first week on the World Race in the village of Sielmat in Manipur, India.
Beauty.
The Lord is redefining this word in my heart. At home, I hear the word beauty and I default to thoughts of my own experience and physical appearance. I pull out memories of times that I have felt beautiful or times that I have felt like I am lacking beauty. I compare myself to people I see as beautiful and wish for more. But here it is different. I see beauty in everything. I see beauty in my teammates as they lean into God and develop their giftings. I see beauty in the amazing way that our hosts serve us. I see beauty in the burn I feel in my calves as I hike up to prayer mountain at 6 am to hang out with Jesus at the start of another day. I see beauty (and caffeine) in the chai that is waiting for me every morning at 7. I saw beauty in tears of my sQuadmates as one team headed off to minister in the hills. I see beauty in the pride that the community takes in their hospital – a facility that reminds me so strongly of the incredible privilege that we experience in America. I see beauty in the lack of internet that has forced me to detox from my dependence on social media. I see beauty in the steam that rises off of the hot water that is literally boiled and carried down a hill and several blocks just so that we have warm water to wash. I saw beauty in the little Indian hands that hold mine during a worship service with 2,240 children. I have even begun to see the beauty in my inability to fix the dirt stains on my hands and the super-strange consistency of my hair.
Beauty.
My hope for each of us – here and at home – is that we would never miss the beauty in the things all around us. On our hardest day, there is something beautiful. On days when the sun is shining and there are Indian children giggling behind me and the chai is great, I will not forget to praise the Lord for the beauty that comes from Him alone.
