As I begin this post, the day is dreary. Rain spatters the window and a steady breeze rustles foliage. If I allow it, the damp dreariness could cast a dark shadow over my mood. But I won’t let this happen, because, in the background, I see glistening green grass. I see beauty.
Enjoy Beauty Now
Last week, I took a picture of an azalea bush in full bloom. Two days later, those blooms had withered. Sometimes, beauty is fleeting, so it’s important to seize the moment and enjoy beauty while it’s there. Beauty lifts our spirits, enhances perspective, and reminds us of God’s gifts and nearness.
Distant Beauty
One day, I caught a glimpse of a white dogwood tree in the woods behind my house. The next day, the view was obscured by rusty-looking buds on a tree in my yard. Today, those buds are full blossoms on a pink dogwood and the white woodsy blooms are visible again.
Background beauty is often hard to see. It hides in the distance, unassuming and tranquil. Yet beauty is there, quietly, softly announcing its presence, waiting for us to notice, waiting to fill us with joy.
Developing an Eye for Beauty
Beauty doesn’t have to be elaborate to elevate us beyond the mundane. Beauty is as simple as a bird flitting here and there, searching for a nesting place, or the slow unfolding of a flower.
Beauty isn’t always visual. In recent weeks, an owl has serenaded me from the tree outside my bedroom window.
The rising and setting sun are daily reminders of the more grandiose forms of beauty we’ve been given. Sometimes the sun’s rising and setting is hidden by clouds, trees, or buildings. Despite these obstacles, there is always a hint of color to remind us of what is going on in the background.
Even on the hardest days, the most challenging life seasons, there is beauty in the background, waiting to be discovered. Fine-tuning vision to see and appreciate beauty in unsuspected places takes practice, but once mastered, enhances forward motion.
Beauty Beyond Understanding
God could have given us a dull, monotone, yet life-sustaining planet on which to call home. However, God is a Creator, Who used all His creativity to craft a world filled with color and exquisite beauty. God’s creation, and that includes us, was well-thought-out, intricately planned. God knows the power of nature’s beauty to brighten our darkest days. He understands the needs of our souls for refreshment in barren life seasons. God’s love for us includes beauty, not just in the forefront, but also in the background of our lives.
Rejoice, for beauty is ours to behold!
“For everything that happens in life—there is a season, a right time for everything under heaven. And I know God has made everything beautiful for its time. God has also placed in our minds a sense of eternity; we look back on the past and ponder over the future, yet we cannot understand the doings of God” (Ecclesiastes 3:1, 11 VOICE).
©CandyArrington
Candy Arrington is an award-winning writer, blogger, and speaker. She often writes on tough topics with a focus on moving through, and beyond, difficult life circumstances. Candy has written hundreds of articles, stories, and devotions published by numerous outlets including: Inspiration.org, Arisedaily.com, CBN.com, Healthgrades.com, Care.com, Focus on the Family, NextAvenue.org, CountryLiving.com, and Writer’s Digest. Candy’s books include Life on Pause: Learning to Wait Well (Bold Vision Books), When Your Aging Parent Needs Care (Harvest House), and AFTERSHOCK: Help, Hope, and Healing in the Wake of Suicide (B&H Publishing Group).
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