Stop for a minute.  Look around you right now.  What is beautiful?  What can you see that makes your eye linger in delight?  What makes you take a deep breath of appreciation?  A sigh of contentment?

As I sit at my desk in our office/playroom, I can look out one of our living room windows at a pile of dirt from the construction of our house, the gables of our neighbor’s house and a stand of firs behind that.  I have a choice about how I process that scene.  I could choose to think negatively.  “I’m sick of looking at piles of dirt.  I wish I had a yard.  The neighbor did a similar line of work, but less responsibility than Husband, yet they have a home worth a million dollars and ours is small and simple.  The woods are close to their house, but we have no trees.”  Or I could revel in the blessings that God has piled on me.  “I’m so blessed to have sky and trees and a beautiful house to look at.  Millions live in crowded squalor in concrete cities and have no trees to see.  Here I sit with large windows, a comfortable house that is heated and cooled, clean and neat.  We have kind neighbors who are a joy to have as part of our lives.  And in God’s good time, we will have a yard for grandchildren to play in.”  Our attitude influences our ability to enjoy beauty.

There is beauty in books.  Do I savor the beauty of good literature?  What heals like the words of Scripture that soothe the spirit and the soul?  What stirs us like the story of someone who overcame the odds and rose to accomplish something for the betterment of mankind? Poetry has a rhythmic appeal that sticks in our minds for years.  I memorized “The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere” when I was young and much of it is still stored securely in my head.

Then there are the illustrations in books.  From childhood, I loved the illustrations of Beatrix Potter’s soft watercolors of rabbits and geese, and Eloise Wilkins soulful images of chubby cheeked children interacting with family and nature.  Those pictures still influence my concept of beauty.  Never underestimate the effect of books on young lives!  My daughter-in-law and her mother have made it a priority to take our grandchildren to the library every week.  Think of the treasures available to my granddaughters in one library!

“Be good to your servant,
    that I may live and obey your word.
 Open my eyes to see
    the wonderful truths in your instructions.”  Psalm 119:17-18

“Such things were written in the Scriptures long ago to teach us. And the Scriptures give us hope and encouragement as we wait patiently for God’s promises to be fulfilled.  Romans 15:4

There is beauty in order.  Chaos is not our friend.  We all crave order.  We operate in a calmer state when surrounded by order.  Chaos creates confusion, frustration, even anger or despondency.  Value order.  Work to make order.  Sustain order.  Accept that life can’t always be orderly.

“For the Lord is God, and he created the heavens and earth and put everything in place. He made the world to be lived in, not to be a place of empty chaos. “I am the Lord,” he says, “and there is no other.”  Isaiah 45:18

“Well, my brothers and sisters, let’s summarize. When you meet together, one will sing, another will teach, another will tell some special revelation God has given, one will speak in tongues, and another will interpret what is said. But everything that is done must strengthen all of you. . . But be sure that everything is done properly and in order.  1 Corinthians 14:26,40

There is beauty in relationships.  Love and harmony are beautiful to see.  Do I notice the beauty of one person serving another? It does bring a smile to my face when I see a young mom cradling her baby in her arms, smiling and talking to him. I stop to delight in seeing siblings getting along and even helping each other!  I take note of the elderly couple overlooking each other’s faults and helping where the other is weak.  I rejoice with the newlyweds and root for their success.

“How wonderful and pleasant it is when brothers live together in harmony!”  Psalm 133:1

“Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony.”  Colossians 3:14

There is beauty in art.  Not many of us can free hand sketch a portrait or paint a landscape, but we can get a lot of enjoyment from artistic endeavors such as crafts, PhotoShop, photography, planning a wardrobe, choosing colors for your home, laying out a pleasing flower garden, or decorating for an event.  Art is bigger than the realm of the painter and sculptor.  The mom who prepares food of different colors served on a pretty plate is also an artist.  She places a vase of flowers on the table arranged with thought, green plants in an attractive container giving life to a room, pillows on the sofa that add visual interest with pattern or texture, just the right color towels and shower curtain, and one lovely object that brightens her desk.   In all these ways all of us can exercise our creativity and contribute beauty to our world. Are we encouraging the creativity of the younger generation by allowing them the freedom to try their hand at art?  Providing the tools for creating in their area of giftedness is our contribution to future beauty.  Having a tote full of art supplies will fuel the expression of some children, while for others kitchen tools or gardening tools will spark their interest.  We model that it isn’t just stirring a pot of soup, but it is also presenting that soup in a pretty bowl with a garnish on top.  It isn’t just weeding the garden, it’s cutting the flowers and arranging them in a lovely vase.  Allowing them to experiment, and fail without shame, develop skill, enjoy the process teaches them that self-made beauty is more fulfilling than store-bought beauty.  It helps them become independent thinkers, confident attempters, and satisfied creators.  After all, they were formed in the image of the great Creator!

Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule . . .”  Genesis 1:26

When a special place to worship God needed to be built,” The Lord has filled Bezalel with the Spirit of God, giving him great wisdom, ability, and expertise in all kinds of crafts.  He is a master craftsman, master at every craft.  And the Lord has given both him and Oholiab son of Ahisamach the ability to teach their skills to others.  The Lord has given them special skills . . . They excel as craftsmen and as designers.”  Exodus 36:31-35

There is beauty in people.  Some people are physically beautiful because they conform to our society’s standard of beauty.  But am I good at seeing the lovely parts of those who don’t meet society’s standard of beauty?  Do I find ways to complement others in order to build them up such as someone’s thick hair, or the pretty color they’re wearing, or the cute hat?   However, I try to avoid complimenting a little girl on her appearance alone.  I don’t want her to think that being pretty or wearing nice clothing is the main thing.  I want to get better at talking to little girls about things she’s doing today or her sibling or pet or what she likes about school.  Do I look for the beauty of a person’s character? I often thank those who work with the public for being patient and cheerful and tell them how much it helps me to see their positive attitude.  A friendly, upbeat receptionist deserves to be thanked!

“The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”  1 Samuel 16:7

“Don’t be concerned about the outward beauty of fancy hairstyles, expensive jewelry, or beautiful clothes.  Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.”  1 Peter 3:3-4

There is beauty in creatures.  I don’t need to tell any pet owner that there is beauty in animals.  All of us naturally revel in our pets’ loveliness.  Watching a cat leap effortlessly or sleep in thirty-nine positions is sheer enjoyment.  Seeing your dog’s strong legs as he lopes ahead of you, ears flapping, laughing at the cock-sure behavior of your rooster, or the flowing fins of your fish are what brings a smile to your face.  Maybe at this time in your life, you can’t have a pet.  But you may be able to enjoy someone else’s pet.  In fact, there’s a certain advantage to loving on a neighbor’s or stranger’s dog and then going home without the care of feeding and vet bills!

“So the Lord God formed from the ground all the wild animals and all the birds of the sky. He brought them to the man to see what he would call them, and the man chose a name for each one.”  Genesis 2:19

There is beauty in music.  I’m not musical.  Oh, yes, I tried.  Years of piano lessons to no avail.  Doggedly trying to learn guitar.  Just because I got callouses didn’t guarantee success.  Others cringe when I sing.  But I can enjoy the music of others from those who lead corporate singing in church to classical orchestras.  I revel in the ability of others.  Music uplifts us, transports us, and it’s the universal language.  Then there’s the music of creatures and creation.  Birdsong, cat purr, wind in the trees, waves, our neighbor’s donkey each day about 4:30 pm.  How will you put music in your day today?

“And they sang a new song (to Jesus) with these words: “You are worthy . . . for you were slaughtered, and your blood has ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation.” Revelation 5:9  (Looking forward to the time in Heaven when I’ll be able to sing!)

There is beauty in God. He is the blessed source of all beauty.  He is himself beautiful in the fullest sense.  When we seek him, we find the most beautiful being in the universe.    We experience his beauty on two levels.  We marvel at his gorgeous creation that hints at the beauty of its Maker.  And we personally snuggle in close and experience his beauty in a spiritual relationship of trust and obedience.  Here we feel how deeply beautiful he is.  Because God is always the Giver, he gives us some of his beauty to share with others.  Gradually he is transforming us to be like him.  We reflect him to the world.  Someday we will see him more clearly than we see his world now.

“When Moses came down Mount Sinai carrying the two stone tablets inscribed with the terms of the covenant, he wasn’t aware that his face had become radiant because he had spoken to the Lord. ”  Exodus 34:29

“that I may dwell in the house of the Lord
    all the days of my life,
to gaze on the beauty of the Lord
    and to seek him in his temple.”  Psalm 27:4

“we can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image.”  2 Corinthians 3:18

Here are some questions to ask yourself about your participation in Beauty.  Do I take the time to appreciate the beauty around me?  Do I give thanks for that beauty?  Am I actively engaged in creating beauty for myself and others?  Do I feed my soul on wholesome, beautiful things?  Do I keep my spirit free of resentment and anger so there is plenty of room for gratefulness and trust where I can welcome beauty?  Do I live in the moment, taking even a few seconds to savor something beautiful?  Do I train myself to look for beauty?  What am I doing to help my family enjoy beauty?  Do I talk to my children/grandchildren about the beauty around them?  Do I set an example of making and appreciating beauty?  Do I encourage them to create beauty?  Am I close to God so that I reflect his beauty?