The Beauty All Around Us
Jade, as I sit here with you sleeping next to me, I think of the beauty of my two cats, Birch and Chris. Those are the names they came with from the humane society. They are lovely cats. Birch is two years old and Chris is one year old. And when I say they were comforting to have when I was pregnant with you, that would be an understatement. Birch is the type of cat that can jump really high, and he leaps from the floor to my shoulder and rests there pretty often. It is sweet gesture that he has been doing since he was a kitten. He is a beautiful, unique-looking tuxedo. He is light and nimble, and loves being up high. No matter where I’m sleeping, he is never too far away. Sometimes he curls up on my chest under the covers and sleeps. He is very vocal when he wants to be. I have never met a cat like him, and I love him to death.
Chris is such a sweetheart as well, even more so than Birch. He loves to be petted and doesn’t meet a stranger. He will sit on my lap and just purr and purr in contentment. He’s heavier than Birch and is not nearly as nimble, plus he doesn’t like to be picked up. But he loves attention. He’s a tabby that has the most beautiful eyes and expression. He’s always so happy to see me; it’s like he is staring into my soul, waiting for some form of attention. He’s very pawsy, and likes to reach out and touch me. Nine times out of ten if I call him he will come; he seems to know his name. But he barely has a meow; it took me a while to figure out when he was meowing.
God worked it out so that the four of us can cohabit together, as you are not allergic to them, and they do not typically bother you. I am grateful for that, because I would have been devastated if I had to get rid of them. And seeing them led me to talk about the beauty of the angels that God has dispatched in this life. My cats are like angels to me; they have comforted me when times were hard and have such a sweet spirit about them. Also, when I see butterflies, I think about how beautiful they are flittering in the air, thinking about when they were once grounded caterpillars. When I see the sun, I think about the warmth and light cascading on me and you. When I see the moon and stars, I am in awe about their beauty and glow. Even in this ugly world, there is so much beauty around us that should continuously blow us away when we see it; God is all around us. Not just in the details, but in the grand scheme of things.
I was a child of US military parents, and I was born in Germany. We went back to Germany when I was about six for a couple of years. I remember the beauty of the areas we lived in. I remember the bakery shops and the chocolate factory… I remember our German neighbor growing strawberries. I remember the snow and the church we went to. I remember having to drive all the way to Kitzingen (about thirty minutes) to get McDonald’s! Yet somehow, for some reason the only things that stick out during these times were the beauty of it all. I know it wasn’t as easy for my parents, as my dad was away training for weeks at a time, leaving my mom with three young children, but for some reason God wanted me to remember that time as beautiful. And it truly was a magical time for me.
If you have breath, there is beauty all around you… in nature, in your creative spirit, and in your memories. Despite what you’re going through, you will see the goodness of God if you are looking for it, and it will change your heart, mind, and spirit. I let nature remind myself of that every day. Just look at David’s writing in Psalm 8:
When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, The moon and the stars, which You have ordained, What is man that You are mindful of him, And the son of man that You visit him? For You have made him a little lower than the angels, And You have crowned him with glory and honor. Psalms 8:3-5 NKJV
If you look all around you, there is a reason to smile. Life gets difficult sometimes, but do not forget the miracles that occur around you every day. A beautiful painting… someone smiling at you randomly… the beauty of a flower… a polite conversation... a positive quote shared online… etc. In scripture it says He will give “beauty for ashes”:
To console those who mourn in Zion, To give them beauty for ashes, The oil of joy for mourning, The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; That they may be called trees of righteousness, The planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified. Isaiah 61:3 NKJV
I’m using God’s word to console myself, and you will have to do that as well. My writing is a testament to His goodness, as well as what I have gone through. Let His word and His works through you and others minister to your spirit when times are difficult or you are sad. I have a lot to be grateful for in this season, but sometimes sorrows of this life can make you blind to what God has done and continues to do for us. So that’s why we must follow the scripture below:
Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. Philippians 4:8 NKJV
This needs to be a meditation in our minds and the posture of our hearts all the time and in every way. Keep your eyes on God and use the beauty all around us to remind ourselves of Him. Use your memories of the things that God has done for you remind yourself of His goodness. Use nature… use human achievement (especially your own), for it is all because of God and to glorify Him. He loves us so much and has given so much to us to be thankful for. You are beautiful as well, and having you was a sign that God entrusted me with one of His most stunning creations. I love you Jade, and God loves you as well.
