Thursday, July 12, 2012

"Beauty is in the eye...!"

Beauty, is it only in the eye of the beholder?  Or, is there beauty even if no one notices?  One of the things I'm coming to discover is beauty is all around me.  The question is, do I notice it?

Living along the south coast of Australia, I am surrounded by beauty.  However, I have to concede that everywhere I have lived or visited there is beauty...it's just a different type of beauty.  Some would say the south coast is one of the most beautiful places in the world.  I agree, but, so is the majestic Rocky Mountains, the clear waters and sandy beaches of the Caribbean, the grander of Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe, Africa, or the brilliant Autumn leaves of the U.S. Midwest. On the flip side, there is beauty even in the common everyday places...like Millersburg, Indiana, Sun Prairie Wisconsin, Auburn, Indiana, Fishers, Indiana, and yes, even Peoria, Illinois!  Beauty isn't just in the eye of the beholder, it's a result of a beautiful God who chooses to bless us no matter where we go with a reflection of His Beauty! Do I see the beauty in and through the common, everyday things or have I been conditioned to only see beauty in the spectacular sights?  That's a tough question as I look out and see the fluffy white clouds against a deep blue sky and hear the ocean pound the beach.  I have to remind myself that the beauty I see pales in comparison with the author of this beauty.

"One thing I ask from the LORD, this only do I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple." Psalm 27:4

The challenge...to see the beauty all around, no matter where I am...it gives me another picture of my God!