Today I was eating peanuts. I don't do this very often, but for some reason I pulled out that bag and began taking apart the shells and eating the delicious insides. I got a peanut shell that held THREE PEANUTS. When I was younger, this was THE thing. To get a shell that contained THREE peanuts? Well, that was a mini-miracle. I smiled to myself as I remembered this childhood excitement and then my thoughts were led to a similar topic...
Beauty, magnificence, simplicity v. the outrageous. So often in today's society we are not amazed until something HUGE happens. We have become (in general) so apathetic that it takes something mind-blowing and really spectacular to grab our attention. And this to me, is sad.
Psalm 50:2 says "Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God shines forth." Therefore, God's beauty is everywhere. He shines forth, at all times, PERFECT beauty. Why does it take a four-leaf clover to make us excited? Why does it take dolphins flipping out of the ocean to make us gasp for breath? Should we not be amazed at the simple things as well? What about the blades of grass that surround the four-leaf clover, aren't they also just as intricate and beautiful? And what about the vast ocean that contains the dolphins? Isn't how much life the ocean holds amazing? Or what about a smile on the face of a child, or the aged? What about the baby kitten? So many things around us are BREATHTAKINGLY beautiful, we must only close our eyes and open our heart to see it. I'm guilty of this as well. I do not appreciate the beautiful world God has created nearly enough. But I'm praying that I can start.
Have you ever noticed something entirely breathtaking, yet utterly simple at the same time? Has God's beautiful world ever made you stop and think? Stop and stare? Stop and love?
"One thing have I asked of the LORD, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to inquire in his temple." Psalm 27:4
(Note: Both Bible verses are taken from the English Standard Version)
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4 comments:
AMEN Sami!!
thank you for this! what an awesome reminder to us all - that nothing that God has created is anything less than beautiful, even the small everyday things that we overlook.
in a related topic, i was just thinking the other day about how much i take for granted. i was swimming in the pool and all of a sudden it hit me how grateful i am to be swimming! to be able to move my entire body, my arms and my legs are strong. i'm free and able to enjoy the water, to move freely, uninhibited. it struck me so hard and i became so overwhelmed with thanksgiving to God.
i started thinking of all the people who are bedridden, hospital bound, confined to nursing homes, paralyzed. and how blessed i am to be free to swim, to run, to dress myself, to MOVE.
thanks Sami :-) i pray you are well!
I was watching the final part of "John Adams" on HBO last night. One of the last scenes of the movie has John Adams(late in his years) walking very slowly down a path with his son. He stops and looks his son in the eyes and says, "I have seen paintings and art by some of the greatest artists in this world, but nothing is more beautiful and amazing to me than this small blossom." Whith that he holds his cane to one small flower on the side of the path. I felt a great swell of emotion after that scene, the same feelings came after reading your post. Thank you. God bless.
@DFS :)
You are SO right. It is a miracle in and of itself that we are able to move, run, dance, swim, hug. Ah. How easy it is to take it for granted. Thank you for that reminder :)
I pray you are also well. And I'm still praying about some discernment for you about your job situation and your moving situation. I pray resolution of some sort comes soon.
@Brad
Thank you for sharing that! That would be a riveting scene to see. And he says it quite well, the creation of God is wholly more better than any creation man can make.
Thank you for the compliment. God bless to you as well! (:
So true! For me I love art and so one of the ways I relate best to God is through his beauty. I often think of him as the Great Artist, whereas some other people might think of him as the Great Physician or really whatever...
I take pleasure in the simple beauty of what's outdoors, espescially now that it's spring. Some songs sing of a secret place where you can meet with God and lately it's been a place behind my backyard where I can pray and admire him.
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