A wonderful friend of mine once said that she believes God gives some of us a special gift to see His beauty in such a way that it fulfills a deep longing in our soul. I have believed in that thought ever since.
I am a runner. Some people don't understand the most amazing release and fulfillment of body, mind, and spirit from running. Now, I can't say that while I'm huffing and puffing up the monster hill by my house that fulfillment is what I'm thinking about, but one in the same, it brings realizization that I can do what I thought I couldn't. Anyways, I refuse to run on a track or any place that is vacant of beautiful landscapes. It doesn't have to be an amazing view of a mountain side, a sunset or a fiels will do. But I want to be able to take in all of God's creation for that particular area.
One day, I was running from gate-to-gate at the high school and middle school I grew up in. It's got this killer hill! I think it's something about the way the hill is swerving at the same time the incline is increasing (or maybe I'm just a baby haha). But anyways, after I had ran it once, I decided to trek back up the hill. When I got to the top, I turned back to admire the view. And you know what? The sunset was magnificent! It is definitely on my list of my top five most beautiful moments.
I think my gift for beauty is one of the most precious gifts God has given me. I take almost every moment of my life and try to turn it into nostalgia. I prize those beautiful moments more than others because I see it as a chance to strengthen my faith. It helps me to know that a great big Guy with a great big heart sees my achy brokeness and is ready to help me heal with a beauty beyond anything man could ever alter or produce. It also brings me to a point to know that I am part of his precious creations and there is nothing I can do to make myself any more enter than He already has.
As I thought about this moment, and many more that followed, I believe God places them in each of our lives as assurance to each of us. Usually, they appear right when our faith is weary and our strength is drowning. Ecclesiastes 3:11 says,
Yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God’s work from beginning to end.That first part of this verse says exactly what I understand. "God has made everything beautiful for its own time". So this is cool, right? God DID make that alluring sunset specifically for me on that very day at that very time. The last part says, "People cannot see the whole scope of God's work from beginning to end". We can not and will not ever be able to comprehend God's timing, but we can hold the faith to believe He performs little miracles for us. A beauty in itself.
Watch for God's little moments for you as your days grow weary and find a reason to celebrate His love for us.
With all my heart,
Elizabeth
Its when we get to the end of ourselves we find the beginning of Him. Running is a perfect picture of that. It's hard. It hurts. We want to give up. But in turning it over to Him, our Creator, He demonstrates His strength. He blesses us with feelings of being surrounded by love. He says - look what I brought you through. Keep writing Elizabeth! You are awesome!
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