 |
| other than hanging from a tree in Atlanta and white water rafting in West Virginia ... all of the other pictures were taken in the beautiful state of North Carolina! (and I am mildly obsessed with the NC "home." decals right now) |
If you weren't hiding under the "patience is a virtue" rock, hopefully you aren't hiding under the "beauty is in the eye of the beholder" rock either... BUT if you are, go ahead and come on out! Anything that has to do with the outdoors or with nature is a pretty sure way straight to my heart. One of my other weaknesses? Something different, or special. Every sunset is beautiful in it's own way because each one is different. I grew up with my father's love for the outdoors. From fishing, camping, and hiking at the beaches or in the mountains of North Carolina, to white water rafting in West Virginia or lake trips to the mountains of Virginia, my dad was the one who spoiled me with showing me God's unique masterpieces in nature. My mom still tells me to this day that when I was little, I refused to wear dresses that did not allow me to climb trees. I've always loved the very special sounds, smells, and feels that add to the beautiful sights for as long as I can remember. Special, different, and unique makes something beautiful to me.
For the longest time, my dream was to be a special education teacher. My heart will always have a special place for those who are what we would call "different" or "special". Now that I look at it, I have 20 very different from each other kiddos in my regular education classroom. Each of my students has their own special needs. Whether their need is for a daily hug or they need me to make sure they get extra sight word practice, each of my babes have their own unique, special, and different needs -- and for that I am grateful. While my kiddos have my heart, there will always be a special place for those whose every need is "special".
I had the opportunity to work on an 89 acre farm where the first of several group homes for adults with disabilities is located. Oh. My. Gosh. While many people close their eyes and see the Bahamas or some other far away land, this is my happy place. I felt the warm air blowing the dirt into my face, I smelled the wonderful scent of manure-compost mixed topsoil, I saw land that stretched on and on and on, and I heard laughter and singing from people who didn't think twice about what others thought, they were having fun -- and this, this is my happy place. Every Saturday morning, people have the opportunity to volunteer on this self-sustained farm, and afterwards they share a potluck lunch. While the first couple of hours of my day was spent shoveling dirt into a wheelbarrow and dumping the wheelbarrow into raised flowerbeds, I was thankful that God had created such a beautiful process (the growing process that is). My second hour and a half included evening out gravel on the side of the driveway so that when it rains, people can still park and it not be muddy. And for this I was thankful for strong men who did the shoveling of gravel into the wheelbarrows so that I could spend time spreading it all out. One of my absolute favorite parts of the day was the fact that everyone voluntarily gave their time to come out and enjoy God's beautiful work AND everyone came with the knowledge that "special needs" just means "different needs". No one was critical, no one laughed AT each other, no one made fun or got frustrated ... everyone looked out for each other, and that--to me--is beautiful.
Colossians 1:16 says, "For by Him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities -- all things were created through Him and for Him."
"...all things were created through him and for him."
God didn't create these beautiful things for him to look at and admire his own handy-work. Nor did He create them for us to admire selfishly. He created earth and everything on it with His very hands so beautifully and precisely so that He could share it with us. He gave me the ability to move dirt to a wheelbarrow and into a garden. He gave me the physical strength to level out gravel. He gave me a heart that loves Him first and foremost and that holds a special place for special people. He gave me the desire to spend time admiring the sight, smells, sounds, and feels of nature. All things were created through and by God himself and for Him ... and I am very thankful He shares with us His masterpiece.
What do you see beauty in? In picking strawberries? In tubing behind a boat on the lake? In white water rafting on a river in West Virginia? In hanging upside down from a tree in the zoo of Atlanta? In loving your family on the beach? In standing at the top of a mountain after a 3 mile hike upwards? In working for hours on a farm with the most carefree people in the world? I challenge you to find where you see beauty and thank God for it. I also challenge you to soak in as much of it as you can!
No comments :
Post a Comment