Daniel 2:20-22 “Praise God forever and ever, because he has wisdom and power. He changes the times and seasons of the year. He takes away the power of kings and gives their power to new kings. He gives wisdom to those who are wise and knowledge to those who understand. He makes known secrets that are deep and hidden; he knows what is hidden in darkness, and light is all around him.”
With Smartphones and tablets surrounding us daily, I have noticed something happening, which at times I am just as guilty of as the next person. Our eyes have shifted from looking around us to constantly staring at the device in our hands. Conversations are now had, not with eye contact, but with distraction. People walk around learning to navigate around others using their peripheral vision while staring at their device. Then there are those who completely zone out to those things around them while on their devices and will run into things or people or miss out on conversations, some even miss out on what their children are doing right in front of them.
Now, there is a stretch of road I loved to take when visiting my grandparents while they were still alive. It was an out of the way dirt road and anyone from Michigan can understand the beauty hidden on dirt roads. There was a spot where I would travel straight, and the trees filled both sides of the road and the branches climbed up and almost over the road to touch each other, almost forming an archway over me as I drove. With fresh snow in the winter, it held a beauty of white and brown intertwining where you could see the intricacy of each branch connected to the others. In fall the changing leaves were always beautiful and full of colors. But spring and summer were my favorite. When the leaves were full, lush and green, it was always like my own welcoming tunnel as I drove through. If the sun was shining just right it would glisten down through the leaves shining spots of light all around along the road. I loved driving through that area each time and thanked God for the simple beauty that I could find in the craziness that was always around me. But to see that beauty I must be looking around and paying attention.
There's a story of a mom and a little girl who arrived home after running around doing errands. The mom gets out of the car distracted by the things needing to be done, like cooking, cleaning, helping with homework and she was distracted looking through her phone. As they walked the little girl told her mom to look up and see the beauty. Confused and caught off guard the mom questioned her daughter, who pointed to a rock she had put in the pathway. This rock had the name of Jesus, that the little girl had painted at Vacation Bible School years before. Her mom asked her why it wasn’t in the garden where no one will trip over it and the little girl said that she put it there so everyone who walks to their door will know Jesus loves them. In all her distraction the mother almost missed the beauty of Jesus that the little girl had found. A simple message that Jesus is the source of gratitude and is their Savior.
The beauty of gratitude isn't something we practice only when it's comfortable. Jesus is worthy of all our gratitude all the time, in every season, because He loves us, is good to us and blesses us.
Jesus isn't someone we place to the side when we have better things to do. Jesus should be before all things because He is the one who holds us together moment by moment. The beauty is the grace and the salvation He offers us.
The beauty of Jesus isn't found only once a week in those padded pews. The beauty of Jesus is found in those dirt roads filled with changing seasons or in the rocks that cry out His name.
Don't miss the beauty of Jesus or who He is or what He has done for you today. Simply look up. Look up from your devices, look around while you're driving, watch your children play (they will only be little for so long), and see what Jesus has for you. Find your own private tunnel that Jesus has set out just for you and praise Him, thank Him and learn from Him.
This week set your alarm a little earlier to get up and use the time to… Meditate on God's wonderful works -Psalm 145:5. Praise God -Psalm 145:1. Tell of His power -Psalm 145:6. Look up and see the beauty.
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