Beauty

So, I walked to class this morning in a heavy fog. Fog deadens everything it covers; campus was nearly silent for once. Looking at trees off in the distance ("the distance" meaning about forty yards away), I couldn't help but think it was beautiful. People often see fog as an obstacle they have to slow down for; recognising God made it gives you a different perspective. Even though I couldn't see far, and the usual campus noises and chatter were absent, I saw God's Creation still, and the crickets and birds seemed even louder than usual: a chorus singing praise to the Maker of heaven and earth, even through the haze. After I finished my classes about three hours later, I walked back to my apartment. By now, the sun had come out, chasing away the fog. The colors of the trees seemed to be shouting for joy in the light. I looked at an evergreen tree and noticed the striking blue-green color of its needles, how different it was from the other trees, how beautiful it was. I looked at a maple and an oak, and realised they weren't just more trees: God made each one unique and beautiful, and if you take more than a passing glance at any one, you can see its beauty for yourself.

God reveals Himself in nature. He taught me several things this morning. First, the fog corresponds to hardships and obstacles in our life. We see pain and trouble as things to overcome, and we wonder why God brings them to us. We should see God's mighty hand working even then, and the beauty of what He's doing. Even when everything seems quiet, and we can't seem to hear God's comforting voice, His power and beauty are still present, coming through in the smallest ways we don't normally notice. When God lifts the veil, we can see clearly the situation around us, and everything seems even better than it was before the darkness; we can appreciate it more. Second (which God showed me as I typed this), those trees in the sunlight are like people. This is a lesson God has been teaching me a lot lately: people really are beautiful, no matter what they may seem like in passing. This is a hard one for me. Third, if Creation is so beautiful, how much more must be the beauty of its Creator! Every time I look around outside, I have to acknowledge the grand beauty of nature, yet, at the same time, its inferiority to what we will come to know.

Peace.