Looking for Beauty

There is a distant echo that rumbles inside each of us who long to look for the heart of beauty in all that we see. It is innate; this longing for beauty that often consumes our days.

When we look for the beauty in things that are broken, we are seeking for solace in the midst of the hopeless.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, right?  It is an abstract idea that warrants our attention. We are consumed with the concept of changing the drab to the fully dressed, the weary to the wonderful, the mundane to the magnificent… but why?

Deep at the core of who we are made to be, is a longing for the hope of heaven in all that this world has to offer.  We look for beauty because we are created to appreciate, to revere, and to worship the One who made beautiful possible. Somewhere, though, we have lost sense of what true beauty is.

Beauty is more than an outer shell  that shines; it is an inner presence of divine that illuminates.

Last week, I left you with a challenge to just rest before the Lord. To take time and sit quietly, patiently waiting for Him to meet you at the beginning of your day. Did you try it?

As with the weeks before, I found myself longing for more of Him with this challenge. Meeting with God before I attend to anything else always forces me to look deeply, all the while teaching me to wait for the beautiful.

Each day’s purpose to fulfill the challenge was met with a determined march to that place I reserved just for Him, a place that I planned to meet the Father. I was not disappointed.   I had the chance to watch the sun rise on the horizon each new day; it was breathtakingly beautiful.  I watched creation awaken, as my eyes beheld the splendor only Glory’s hands could form.  My ears began to hear the sounds of beauty erupt in a chorus of song and splendor that only the Ancient of Days could compose. My heart left lightened, a little more prepared for the day ahead.

Pausing for His attention each morning found quiet waiting, holding my breath in anticipation of all that was possible.  I knew His presence immediately, because there is a  shifting of the atmosphere when  we humble ourselves in the midst of the Holy.

The definition of beauty truly lies in the simple act of recognizing His Presence in the midst of the ordinary. Yet, beauty reveals itself repeatedly when we look for it.

• When your heart is breaking and you need a gentle reminder that you are not forgotten, He  is gently leading us back to hope and surrounding us with those who carry love in their hearts.   Beauty is in the promise that we are never left alone.
• When hope has sifted through the scales of life causing you to stumble or pause yet again, wondering… asking… looking  for the answer to show itself, He will speak in our ear directing our way showing us the steps to take.  Beauty is in knowing that His Word will never fail.
• When the sigh in your heart weighs too heavy a burden upon our souls, and you  need  a safe  release, He draws us to bend and petition with the promise of hearing.  Beauty is in the prayer of faith that yields abundant return.
• When the yearning for tomorrow’s could-be dreams, loaded with expectation  for the future and brightened by faith, seems too far from reach, He reminds us that He has planned our days before we ever took a breath.  Beauty is bound to our ability to praise for all God has already done, and all He is still yet to do.

Friends, when we are feeling down or burdened, hopeless, or lacking faith we need to look for beauty in every moment. We need to see beyond the broken and look for the life that resides within.  We need to see the true, lovely, and good which is placed before us, recognizing hope and promise in the offering we have to give.

When we look for true beauty we set an example.

I have 2 beautiful daughters who challenge me each day to be a better mom, more honest woman, diligent role model, and prayer warrior.  I see how they can sometimes battle with self-image and it breaks my heart that they worry about anything other than pleasing the Father.  I know that I need to model something better, something purer, something wholesome. I have a warrior son who needs to be taught to honor the beauty of the heart rather than appreciate beauty only with his eyes, not only to protect him but to train him to see what is whole and true.

We need to exemplify the heart of the beautiful for others, so that people see Christ as the full definition of what beautiful looks like. Look deep, beyond the outer shell, to find hope within and you will see beauty in its truest form.

God looks beyond the temporal to the eternal.

I was challenged this week as I sat in prayer to begin looking for beauty in all that is before me. To see and to embrace the things that perhaps the world doesn’t define as beautiful.  God sees beyond the shallow skin and looks below to the beating heart.  He sees what is shining deep within and illuminates beauty as His presence radiates out of our living.

• A beautiful spirit is a magnet to attract and to woo others, igniting a desire for what is good, persuading and molding with ease.
• A lovely word is the encouragement which could heal the coldest heart, influencing others with a purpose to bring life.
• A gentle touch is the ice-breaker that will mend and restore for the purpose of drawing people closer to the  heart of community.

Beauty is not only in the eye of the beholder, it is in the active appreciation for those gifts deep in our hearts that demonstrate His goodness within.  It is seen in our service to one another by speaking words of life and singing words of praise over all we are casting our vision upon, into all we encounter.

Beauty is bound to the generous heart of the Father who bathes us in the ethereal glow of His favor as we bow and as we seek His face. It is lavished upon the broken in mercy and poured upon the hurting as they grieve.

Beauty flows from the hands of the mother who is tending the sick-child once again, and the diligent father who works hard so that there is abundance and provision.  It escapes in the laughter of a child who touches the clouds, teasing heaven with the melodic sounds of joy.

Beauty often meets us in the face of the stranger who longs to be a help when the time to help is near.  It touches our lives in the generosity of those who willingly give of what they have expecting nothing in return.

The way of the beautiful mimics the heart of the Father as we look for His reflection in the everyday images we see.

When we look for beauty it becomes easy to offer praise, and when we offer praise to God then our countenance will change drastically. It is definitely a pay-it-forward act of grace to both see the beauty before you and then share that gift with the world.

The challenge this week is to not only look for beauty in the midst of what may seem ordinary, but to tell someone what  you see, to write about the joy you feel, to share the hope you are touching, or to give the gift of encouragement without expecting anything in return.

{Is it hard for you to see beauty in whatever is in front of you?}

{Can you praise Him in the simple, the mundane, and the plain by finding His image reflecting through others and their circumstances?}

 Join me in the challenge this week to look for beauty and then take the next step to share that with others. Share your thoughts in the comments section or join me on the Journeys In Grace Facebook Page to list out those special gifts you are finding this week.

Celebrate Beauty!

We are celebrating our daughter’s 19^th birthday today. She is the epitome of a beautiful soul who possesses the joy of heaven in her heart.  When I think of beauty, I see His light radiating in her strength and the hope of heaven pouring out in her smile.  Though her path has not always been filled with beautiful things she remains tethered to beauty because of Christ within. Her heart is full of His glorious spirit, and out of that abundance she draws others in loveliness and grace. {Happy Birthday my Beautiful Girl!}

As I pray for her today, I feel like each daughter needs to hear this truth.

Beautiful daughter, filled with grace… may the Hope of Heaven surround your days and guide your feet. May you feel the embrace of heaven holding you close, and the heart-beat of the Father as His joy covers you completing you for that perfect work which you were created to perform. You are a beauty, extravagant in the covering that grace provides. You have a purpose that shines brilliant in the place He has designed. Step lightly, but surely, for you are adored and you are loved. He knows the number of hairs upon your head; your worth is great. Because He moved heaven to meet you, you can be assured that you have been approved and accepted. His mantle of glory shines in you, you are glorious. Spill forth the beauty that makes you shine, touch lives to bring freedom and hope, instill joy with every touch radiating His image and changing the world.

 He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has planted eternity in our hearts.– Ecclesiastes 3:11

Look for the beautiful. Start with what is right in front of you, and you will be amazed at the change in your heart and your vision.

~Blessings,

Linking up with :

Sybil @ Make A Difference Mondays

Jen @ SDG Sisterhood Gathering

Holley @ Coffee for Your Heart

Jennifer @ Tell His Story

Beth @ Three Word Wednesday

Rebekah @ Words of Life Wednesday

Lyli @ Thought Provoking Thursday