Wednesday, February 21, 2007

Savoring The Beauty Of Every Day

Imagine how different tomorrow would be if you woke up and found that you were in a much more beautiful environment. What if the beauty of nature became more inspiring and brilliant in color? What if the people in our lives became even more engaging and interesting? What if little moments throughout the day captured our hearts with wonder? Imagine how different our days would be if we savored every bit of beauty that came into our lives?



Fortunately, we don't have to travel to some new intriguing destination to find beauty. We simply need to change our perspective! Marcel Proust said, "The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes." If we'll open our eyes, adjust our attitude, and adapt our perspective - we'll see that we're surrounded by beauty! It may take some work on our part, but other than God's grace, what good things in life don't require effort?

The work of discovering beauty in our lives often equates to intentionality! We start to savor life when we purposefully and actively look for it! Yet, being too concerned with the next goal, the upcoming project and our growing to-do list can hinder us from even seeing our present situation in all its wonder! If we'll look, we we will see that beauty may be right in front of us. Let's stop trading the joy of today for the hope of tomorrow. Todd Duncan, in his book called Time Traps said, "Too many people are dying for tomorrow rather than living for today." I tend to agree because I've seen this happen in my own life on occasion. Understanding the benefits of patience and at times, slowing down, has resulted in greater happiness. I'm also coming to understand this well known phrase... "the journey is more important than the destination".

Along our route, the journey takes us through many different seasons and situations. An individuals life circumstances may not always make it easy to celebrate and enjoy their surroundings. However, even if it may not seem like life is going in the direction that we would have chosen, we can still enjoy the good things that God has placed around us. Many of these things are often overlooked, but if we discover them, they make the journey of life much sweeter!



Here are a few intentional things that we can do if we want to capture the beauty that can be found in each day...

First, we must discover that beauty exists all around us! Once we make a habit of identifying things that brighten our day, we'll find that beauty starts becoming more obvious to us. In fact, we'll find that we're surrounded with beauty! We'll see it in the smiles of strangers, we'll find it in the joy of hard work, we'll discover it in sunsets, snowfalls, and even rainy days! It's the exact opposite situation that unfolds in the life of a critical person. When a critical person starts looking for things that they don't like, they find plenty of them. However, when a positive person looks for the good things in life, much joy awaits them! We only need to open our eyes!

Jennifer will often tease me because she catches me saying one of my favorite phrases... "it's a beautiful day"... even when it's really cloudy and gloomy outside. I've learned (and I'm still learning) that every day has the potential to be beautiful! It all depends on our perspective and our attitude.

Many beautiful things will start to pop out at us once we open our eyes and start looking for them! This next picture of the trees and snow-covered rocks represent this point perfectly. Jennifer took this picture as we drove through Rapid City last week. This view can be seen clearly if you glance up while stopped at one of the busy intersections in our city. Thousands of cars drive right past this view everyday, but I wonder how many people noticed the natural beauty that was just above them?




Second, we must embrace thankfulness and express gratitude. Because we believe that all good things in our lives have come from God, the main avenue for expressing thankfulness for us, is prayer. When we live out God's instruction to "Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances" (The Bible, 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18), we find that we're the ones that benefit! A thankful heart is a happy heart. The more thankful a person is, the more content they are and that contentment brings them peace!

I find that I express gratitude in two primary ways. I'll say a prayer in my heart to thank God for something or I'll verbally express "how awesome" something is to those around me. I do these things constantly because I'm really thankful to experience them! One thing I've been doing lately is to bring those two together and thank God verbally, even while I'm with others. If I were with a group of friends and thinking about how much I appreciate the beautiful sky, I wouldn't just observe how neat the sky is or say a silent prayer of thanks. I would say something like, "Isn't God an amazing Artist for creating such a beautiful view?" Verbally expressing thankfulness to God reminds me to worship God, not His blessings! It reminds me of Who all good things come from.

Third, we should intentionally savor those things that bring beauty into our lives. In other words, we need to be intentional about exposing ourselves to the good things in life. If we have a relationship that really encourages us, we should make the time to enjoy that friendship. If we're energized by being in nature, we need to carve out the time in our schedule to get away and enjoy it. If our fires are lit by a certain hobby or sport, we need to frequently engage in that activity!

Another way to do this is to write down a list of your "favorites" and take the time to enjoy them. For example, I listen to a lot of music, but the Beach Boys are my absolute favorite band of all time. It's hard not to smile when I hear these inspirational songs about life on the beach, sunshine, surfing, and the summer! This music can pick me up in minutes!

Whenever I travel to California, my first stop after leaving the airport is at an In-N-Out Burger because it's my favorite place to eat! The food is great and I love the palm tree decor. However, when I walk through the doors, memories of one of the best summers in my life (1999) come flooding back. I think about my brief time of living in San Diego and starting to date the love of my life, Jennifer! I think about the waves I surfed and the life-long friends I made. I remember the ministry that happened that summer and how I really felt God using me to help others. I practically lived off In-N-Out Burgers that summer, so these wonderful memories and more come back when I visit that restaurant. That's one reason why it's my favorite place to eat! Having favorites makes life sweeter!

I've given a lot of thought to this topic of savoring the beauty of every day. I've come to the conclusion that if someone does these things on a regular basis, they will experience a noticeable increase in the quality of their lives. I've been living this out for years and know that it has been true for me.



Finally, when I encounter wonder, beauty, and awe in my daily life, I can be reminded that God cared enough for me to express it in a way I could understand. Ultimately, all good things are directly from Him and are expressions of His love for me.

Max Lucado wrote, "If you were the only person on earth, the earth would look exactly the same. The Himalayas would still have their drama and the Caribbean would still have its charm. The sun would still nestle behind the Rockies in the evenings and spray light on the desert in the mornings. If you were the sole pilgrim on this globe, God would not diminish its beauty one degree."

"Because he did it all for you... and he's waiting for you to discover his gift... He's waiting for your eyes to pop and your heart to stop. He's waiting for the moment between the dropping of the jaw and the leap of the heart. For in that silence he leans forward and whispers: I did it just for you" (The Great House of God, Max Lucado).


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