Life feels full when I pause to search for beauty. All too often, that search is forgotten is the shuffle of busy that fills up my days, weeks, months.
My senses dull and my stomach forgets the fiery ache in my belly when I glimpse wonder of God's creativity in the sights, tastes, smells, sound, feels, words, relationships, and itch to put inspiration or thankfulness in action.
I clearly remember moments as a child, when life was slower, where I paused, looked up from a page of words and almost gasped at the longing to see the sights the character was experiencing. Those moments...laying on a picnic table and gazing into endless blue and content to soak up the joy of those minutes and hear the hum of bugs in summer evening, the sparkle of diamonds on white snow with one blemish--rabbit tracks trailing to the woods, and the blinding brilliance of light catching trees after an ice storm, stooping low to peek at the shimmering white coals among the orange and yellow bonfire sending sparks into the black sky, sticky fingers from gooey, golden marshmallows roasted while conversing with family, twisting back in my seat along the bumpy dirt road--with hair flying in my face and mouth--to catch a glimpse of the purple streaked yellow sky deepening to a dark blue. I remember reading a book that described the trees against a watercolor sunset sky as black lace, and feeling that familiar burn in my belly as I knew exactly what they meant.
When you pause, put down that smart phone, and savor a moment you notice the light streaming over a pile of pebbles, you hear the song of birds blending in the wind, and you feel the grit in your sandals. When you stop worrying about the next thing, you slow down time and take a mental snapshot of family laughing around the table, the taste of a homecooked meal in your mouth, the feel of bubbles and dishes in the sink, the child banging on piano keys, and joy springs into your heart.
Life should never be to busy to fill the soul with beauty. This is an attitude, not an appointment. I need to stop waiting for "enough" time to start appreciating loveliness, to get inspired, to create. No matter where I am or how busy I am, there is beauty to be found in the world and events my Creator has placed me in. It fills me with peace to stop and notice the ways He blesses me and fills my longing for creativity with the beauty of life hidden amid the busy events and to-do lists and chores. It reflects His creative character when I get inspiration and express it in the midst of everyday life, even in small or unnoticed ways.
Today, I pause to think (simply think for the sake of reflection, not accomplishment...something that should be done more often)... and I realize that this is one of the characteristics I want my life to be about...never to be too busy to find joy in God's moment by moment gifts, to search for the inexhaustible riches of beauty He has put in my everyday life, and to pass the fullness of beauty on to others--to help them hunt for and see the joy too, and praise God because of it.
No comments:
Post a Comment