Looking for beauty
Isaiah 41:10 - So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
Driving early one morning to a doctor’s appointment, I was feeling a little sorry for myself and wasn’t really in the mood to appreciate the sunrise. I was focused on the pain in my knee, and the impending tests that would be necessary to locate the cause of the pain. I thought about the pain I had been dealing with in both knees since March, and was all too happy to gripe to the Lord and myself about the state I was in.
As I drove, I did finally look up enough to notice the sun rising. I noticed the incredible colors and the way they spread through the clouds and lit them up for the world. A few seconds later, I glanced again, and the sky was a light blue with a grey tinge on the clouds! SO quickly had the moment of splendor and glory passed; it held on just long enough as the right angle was found by the rays of the sun.
That made me think about how quickly the sunrise was over. One moment the sun wasn’t up, and then it was. One minute in darkness, the next in light. One minute the dust and debris in the atmosphere caught the rays to filter them in such a way that I got to appreciate the color, and then it passed. Somewhere over the horizon behind me, another person was getting a chance to see that sunrise. For me it had passed, but for others further back on this globe it was yet to come.
The beauty was only there because of the dust and debris. If the atmosphere had been free of those pollutants, the rays of the sun would have had nothing through which to filter. Even the clouds in the sky catch the rays differently and only do so because of their position to block those rays. It is hard to imagine that the beauty of a sunrise or a sunset is just not possible without the debris and dust. Without the ‘yucky’ stuff as my kids would have said.
But isn’t that like our lives, I wondered? I can only feel sad about the pain in my knees because I know what it feels like to walk without pain. I can only enjoy the sunshine because I know what it’s like when it is raining. We can only enjoy a connection with others because of the trials those others walk through with us. The joy we feel is because of the pain we have felt.
Pain and suffering are not ours to keep. The Lord promises He will never leave us or forsake us. He will be the lifter of our heads. He will give us the grace and mercy we need for each day. He also gives us connections with other sisters in Christ. Through the body of Christ, He offers ways to bring us together and seek each other out.
Don’t miss the beauty in trials, seek out connection, and find sisters in Christ who will journey with you. You may be seeking a mentor, or perhaps you’re a single mom. Maybe you don’t have a spouse who attends church or don’t have a spouse that shares your faith. Why not look for the beauty? Look for the connection. Come to Gather and Gab on August 15. Bring your dinner as we throw open the doors of the Connection Room (272) and say, “Come join us!”
There is beauty in this life. The Lord will strengthen you through connections to other women at BHBC.
CJ Crenshaw
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