It was a Sunday morning in early March, the temperature just below freezing....warm enough to create puddles during the day, but cold enough at night to form a layer of ice on top. It had been a while since I had taken a morning walk, and I was feeling the need to do so. Sunday mornings are my favorite times to walk; a time to get my head all cleared out and focus on Jesus before the busyness of making phone calls and making sure everyone's awake and ready to be picked up for church.
The morning was rather dreary, the snow dirty and the sidewalks slushy. I stepped over a frozen puddle and noticed the design of the ice was beautiful, kind of like a feather or a fan or a group of feathers. It's hard to explain, but it was amazing. I stooped to look more closely, and couldn't help but be in awe. So intricate, so perfect...and all in the midst of a dull-looking city where there's so much pain and hopelessness.
I realized that I love little things like that...simple things that God puts in my life that remind me that He is a God of beauty - THE God of Beauty. At first glance, there wasn't much that was beautiful on that morning in Thunder Bay. But when I actually stopped to notice the beauty, it was impossible to miss.
And I think that's why I like this city so well. I love finding beauty in the places where it's least expected.
It's easy, in the mountains of Colorado or the beaches of Florida, to stand in wonder at God's beautiful creation. But what about in a dreary, cold city where people are living on the streets and girls are selling themselves just to support their habit or to feed their kids? What about a place where drug addicts die from an accidental overdose or just kill themselves to escape it all? Where's the beauty? It's hard to find. But it's there.
I see it splashed all over this city, when I'm looking for it. I see it in the little pink heart with the words "Jesus loves you!" hand-written, taped to a window in the East End. I see it in the mother who's playing hockey in the driveway with her two-year-old. I see it in the generosity of my friend who treats me to Tim Horton's whenever she has money. I find it in the smile of a girl who doesn't have much to smile about. And yes, it's in the intricate design of the ice covering the muddy puddles.
It's there. When I'm looking, I find it.
May I revel in the beauty that God has placed all around me, even in the places I least expect it. And may I praise Him...
