Lately, I have been really busy. You know that kind of busy where you feel like you can barely keep your head above water?
The school year starting. New projects at work. Three kids. Life.
I realized that I needed to slow down. I needed to breathe. I needed a change.
Most of my work deadlines couldn’t be changed. But what could change was my perspective. I was too hurried to take in the beauty around me. I needed to get intentional.
It started out pretty innocently. I saw a blooming tree and I snapped a picture of it. Then I saw the most incredible sunset, and I just stopped, watching the clouds roll by.
My daughter played happily in the lake, and I took a photo, wanting to never forget her joy.
On my way to work I saw a row of trees, full of lush green leaves, with a white picket fence behind them. I was driving, so no picture, but I smiled.
Now it has become a daily adventure. What will I discover? Where is the beauty today?
The answer? Everywhere.
Beauty in nature. Beauty in people. Beauty in vulnerability. Beauty in the mess of every day.
Sometimes I take out my phone and snap a picture, wanting a tangible reminder of what I found that day. Other days, I simply acknowledge the beauty and continue about my day.
The act of acknowledgement is powerful and life-changing.
It’s all a wonder. It’s all a gift. Taking the time to take in the ordinary wonderful has been an important reminder to me that life is meant to be savored.
While work and deadlines are important, they don’t need to be soul-draining. They too can be life-giving if my perspective is one of beauty.
The beauty in the world.
The beauty in the opportunities.
The beauty in the growth that happens because of the work.
Scripture says that God has made everything beautiful. Seeing life through that lens is profound and life-giving.
May we all appreciate the beauty this world has to offer. And as we take it in, may our lives overflow with beauty to those around us.
What is the beauty you can find in your every day? Share what you have seen in your life today, that others will be encouraged too.
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