Noticing Beauty When It’s Hard to Find
Philippians 4:8 (ESV)
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.
Digging into God’s Word
Today we start a new series, Beauty for Ashes. We will discover the joys of noticing beauty, sharing beauty, developing inner beauty, and worshiping the creator of beauty. Today we will tiptoe into this intriguingly deep topic by noticing beauty.
At the edge of my yard is the field you see in today’s photo. It is on a flood plain, and it gets mowed two or three times a year by the city. You might look at it and see a bunch of weeds. Well, that would be true!
I have been tempted to scatter wildflower seeds in the field, but I’m scared I will become that woman you read about a hundred years from now who inadvertently tossed seeds of an invasive plant into an obscure field and they overtook the state’s habitat. One errant planting of Morning Glories in a vegetable garden will do that to a girl.
If you look closely, in the lower right you’ll see some spots of yellow. Those are Black-Eyed Susans, one of my favorite wildflowers. See the dead branch of a tree top right? That tree used to house a huge hawk’s nest until most of the tree fell. The hawk has taken up residence in a taller tree off-camera. After many years of not seeing any other fauna, this year a doe has emerged from the dark shadows of the treeline near dusk. Tenderly, she makes her way through the field until she finds the apples that have fallen from my apple tree. I haven’t kept up with the apples this year, and she’s had quite a feast!
From the weeds springs beauty.
On some days I’ve looked out on this field and have beheld God’s glory in all its splendor. The rays of His light shine brightly, and He pulses in my life, giving evidence of His gracious hand. On other days, I have looked out on this field, chest heaving, straining to breathe in goodness and holiness. Surely those qualities still existed, but I clawed hard to find them. I just stared blankly, in vain, until one day I started noticing all of the greens, proof of intricate beauty amidst ugliness.
I dare you to count the hues of green in the field. I’ve given up trying to identify the number of distinct variations.
Ann Voskamp writes about the ugly-beautiful in her book One Thousand Gifts:
That which is perceived as ugly transfigures into beautiful. What the postimpressionist painter Paul Gauguin expressed as “Le laid peut etre beau”–The ugly can be beautiful. The dark can give birth to life; suffering can deliver grace.
That brings us to our challenge this week: Find beauty. Find the lovely. Even amidst ugliness. When you find it, camp on it. “Think about these things,” Paul says. Don’t let your Facebook feed trample on it! Count the hues of green.
When you find the beautiful, take a photo and post it on the Digging Deeper with God Facebook page. Let’s encourage each other in noticing beauty!
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.
Digging Deeper
As you are able, spend time with God, reflecting on these questions or journaling your thoughts.
- Take a look around you right now and spot the beautiful. It might be the soft breath of a child sleeping, a splash of color in the decor that surrounds you, or a character trait or moment of growth in you or someone else. Notice the beauty!
- Ask God to show you beauty throughout your day. Notice when He shows it to you!
- Only once we get to heaven will we comprehend true beauty. The apostle John was given a glimpse of heaven, and he describes it in Revelation 21. Sometime this week, read Revelation 21 and notice the beauty of heaven as he describes it.
- The verse from Philippians happens to have been a favorite of my dad’s. I also know my mom’s favorite Bible verse (John 10:27-28). Reflect on your own favorite scriptures, journaling about them as you have time. This week, ask your loved ones what their favorite Bible verse is. Or, what is their favorite Bible account and why? My prayer is you’ll find great meaning and beauty in these discussions.
Remember to post pictures of beauty on the Digging Deeper with God Facebook page!
Links and Signup!
- Be sure to get all of the devotions on the first day they are posted. Let’s Meet with God and Grow in Faith together! SIGN UP here!
- You’ll be able to find all of the devotions in this series at Beauty for Ashes.
- You can find past series at these links:
