I always like to say, even though we’re all made uniquely, we are way more alike than we are different. One things that sticks out to me as common to every single human being is we all crave beauty as an essential part of the human experience.
Have you ever experienced something so beautiful it was hard to put into words? Maybe a sunset or a piece of music? Maybe an experience that was so perfectly profound it took your breath away?
I know for me, one of the most beautiful days was the day I got married. God brought me and my bride, Lynn, together. We decided to get married on the first day of spring, March 20, in the chapel in Yosemite National Park. The park service warned us we might get snowed out, but we took the chance anyway. The day of the wedding, it was 75 degrees. There were a few Bob Ross clouds in the sky, there were purple wildflowers in bloom all over the park, and there was a little pile of snow right in front of the chapel so all the little cousins and nephews could make snowballs to throw at each other. It was the ultimate wedding day!
There was just one problem: my bride was missing.
I’ve said this before—my bride is known for being on time. We were supposed to get married at 10 in the morning, but at 10:05, she still wasn’t there. 10:15… 10:30… still not there! In Yosemite there’s no cell reception, so I had no idea what was going on. And here’s the kicker: the chapel attendant said to me, “Maybe she’s not gonna show up.”
Now I love Jesus, but I almost hit that guy! Not because I was mad at him, but because I was starting to think there was a distinct possibility she wasn’t coming! What I didn’t realize was that because of the beautiful weather, there was a huge line of cars to get into the park, and poor Lynn was clear at the back. But thankfully I have a loud brother-in-law who got her through that line. She finally made it, 35 minutes late!
When they opened the doors, all I saw was sunlight, and this beautiful silhouette of my bride in her wedding gown. You gotta remember, I’m all Italian, so I got choked up! But I didn’t want to have bad wedding pictures where my eyes were all red, so I had to get a grip! That is the most beautiful moment I can think of. And it’s not because everything was perfect… it’s because of everything that led up to it, amplified by the fact that I wasn’t quite sure she was going to show up! (I’m eternally grateful she did.) But set against the backdrop of such an imperfect start to the day, the moment Lynn and I were married was the most beautiful moment I’ve ever experienced.
Part of what makes things beautiful to us is the circumstances surrounding it—all the details leading up to it. Think about the resurrection of Jesus—part of what makes that so beautiful is that just a few days before, all of the hopes and dreams of His followers were dashed as they watched Him die on the cross. They were dejected. They were counting on this man, and now He was dead. They didn’t realize that the cross would give way to an empty tomb—that Jesus had conquered sin and death, not just for Himself, but for everyone who believes in Him! That beautiful day of resurrection isn’t just something God did in the past, it’s something that He wants to do in your life now.
That beautiful day of resurrection isn’t just something God did in the past, it’s something that He wants to do in your life now. Click To TweetMaybe your life is at a point today where you’re nervous and waiting for doors to open. Maybe your circumstances are dark and scary right now, and you’re in need of a fresh look at the beauty of God, a fresh work of resurrection. I often say we’re all people in process. When we take time to gaze upon the things of Jesus, we see the highest beauty, and it holds the greatest hope for us today. The promises leading up to His arrival, His humble birth, His words, His actions, His miracles, His death and resurrection, His commissioning of His church and bestowing of the Spirit — they were all for love and glory and all mysteriously beautiful. They show us God’s unfolding plan to transform us into the beautiful likeness of Jesus.
First Corinthians 15:49 reminds us, “Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven.” We won’t be stuck looking like sinful Adam forever. God is changing us, through the power of the Holy Spirit that raised Jesus, so that we look like Him—the man of heaven!
So let’s reflect God’s beauty by treating people as we would want to be treated. Today let’s live beautifully. Let’s allow our lives to be the beautiful fragrance of love, joy, peace, kindness, goodness, patience, gentleness and self control. Let’s share forgiveness and compassion and beautify a tarnished world.
Today let’s live beautifully. Let’s allow our lives to be the beautiful fragrance of love, joy, peace, kindness, goodness, patience, gentleness and self control. Click To TweetAnd let’s trust God and His beautiful work in our present circumstances too. I promise you, if you walk with Jesus, the circumstances you’ve been feeling are irredeemable are the exact place He wants to redeem and transform into a display of His radical goodness in your life….Life isn’t easy — it’s messy — but with Jesus, it’s always beautiful too.
How to Desire What God Finds Beautiful