Unspoiled Beauty

 

Photo by Dennis Buchner on Unsplash







Yesterday, I took a walk through the park and was amazed at the beauty of ice and snow-covered trees. It was like a picture postcard, white frosted branches against a gray sky, alongside a fast-moving river, with a few Canadian geese to keep me company.

This morning as I lay snuggled in bed and heard the microwave let out a death beep and saw everything go dark, the snow and ice seemed less romantic. A glance out the window confirmed that my building and at least a few surrounding blocks were out of power.

Yet, when I rode down a tree-lined street past a wooded property on my way to church, I couldn’t help but feel the same sense of wonder and admiration at the scenery. It was breathtaking.

The same storm that caused downed power lines and fallen trees and icy roads created beauty unmatched by anything humanly designed or created. The inconvenience and hardship of no electricity didn’t diminish the goodness that I recognized the day before.

When hard times come, it’s easy to dwell on what is wrong and painful. It’s easy to get lost in the darkness and forget that the light still shines, even on a cloudy day. When those times come, lift your eyes to see God’s beauty and goodness and light. It’s been there the whole time.

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