Beauty

As I started my prayer time this morning, the phrase "come into his presence with thanksgiving in your heart" came to mind. I started making a list of things I'm thankful for and as I was praying over it the word "beauty" came to mind. I don't mean beauty in the physical sense, but beauty almost in a spiritual sense. You know, like a child's giggle. The family hug when the dad gets back from serving overseas. A mother seeing her newborn baby's face for the very first time. Beauty.

I was listing out things I saw beauty in. Beauty in my family, beauty in this world and beauty in God. Then I really felt like God was saying "what about beauty in others?" You see, I have a tendency to dwell on things. I mull over them. I go over conversations in my mind. It just allows things to build and build. So what might have started out as something so small that someone did or said that just kinda rubbed me the wrong way, it is now a point of annoyance with them. It infects my very idea of them. So, even when they do or say the simplest thing, it can drive me crazy.

So, I've been working on my attitudes with a couple of people and God is really working in me with that. But today, he challenged me. "Why not focus on the beauty in people. That's what I do with you." When God looks us, He does not focus on all of our brokenness. He doesn't see all the little things in our life that probably drives Him crazy! He sees us as His child. He sees us as He created us to be. That's why we can be so secure in our relationship with Him. We don't have to worry about saying something that He is going to dwell on forever! He loves us! To the cross and back!

So, I am going to work on seeing the beauty in others as God sees the beauty in me. When people say things that hurt or even annoy, I'm going to look deeper. Is what they're saying out of love and it just came out wrong? Is what they're saying out of their brokenness and I need to be praying for them? Or is what they're saying truth and I need to be praying about me!

God, help me to see Your beauty in all things and especially in the people You created.