As I write this, it feels like I’ve been living in a freezer for the past week. Temperatures outside have hovered in single digits for days and the wind chill has dropped to between minus-5 to minus-15 degrees. Let’s just say this gal has been longing for her flip-flops and a warm beach. Spring can’t get here fast enough!
On the coldest day, my husband had to drive several hours to estimate a job for a customer. I rode along, and as we drove around curvy mountain roads, everything looked so wintry and bleak, especially with the cold air and wind howling around us. The woods were filled with bare trees and leafless vegetation. The entire landscape was gloomy.
But then as we rounded a curve, and I noticed something—right smack dab in the middle of all that bleakness was a beautiful pond. Ice covered the surface, and snow drifted on top of that. It was lovely.
Several miles further, a mountain stream filled with room-sized boulders meandered alongside the road. Ice coated its banks, and giant icicles hung from the top of the boulders. Water rushed down the stream, and wind whipped the water into the air, splashing it onto the boulders and adding another layer to the icicles.
Yes, in the middle of that bleak scene, the beauty was there. I just had to look for it.
It’s the same way for all of us. I’ve had times where life was hard, where it felt like the winds of adversity howled around my family. The days ahead looked bleak and hopeless. I’ll be honest, there were times when I couldn’t see anything but the doom and gloom that stretched before me.
But then as God ministered to my heart, I began to notice moments of beauty. Days of sweet peace. Times where I felt His presence in a way I would never have done if everything was easy and wonderful.
There were moments when His grace thawed my heart and gave me hope. And you know what? Now that I look back on those moments, I’m grateful for them…for they taught me to see the beauty of Jesus in a fresh, new way.
Sweet friends, are you in the middle of a bleak time right now? Look for Him. I can promise you that you’ll see moments of beauty that you’ve never seen before.
