Beauty for Ashes

I often describe myself as being “allergic to outside.”  I have many environmental allergies and have always viewed this as a frustrating hindrance. 

I’m drawn to TV shows about the English countryside, or pictures of rolling hills and beautiful gardens.  There’s something about it that makes me feel calm and alive, still and energetic all at the same time.  But actually spending any time in a garden costs me for days. 

I was blessed in 2017 to take a girls’ trip to Scotland with my youngest sister.  Driving through the vast and majestic beauty was life-giving!  Walking through it, however, did produce predictable allergic reactions.  I used to be frustrated that I can’t actually go outside to really savor the beauty and the feelings it inspires.  And let’s be honest, the Oklahoma landscape just doesn’t compare to Scotland!

Instead of being discontent with my locational situation and bemoaning my physical limitations, I’m choosing to seize opportunities to savor beauty in the formats that are available to me.  I get pretty much the same feelings I had in Scotland when I watch majestic landscape videos.  I can stand in awe of God’s power to create and His imagination in design just by gazing at photographs of nature and places I’ll never be able to physically go to.  I’m so thankful God has provided others the opportunities to capture these things and the avenues of technology to share them with me!

Ponder a “Beauty for Ashes” scenario in your life today. 

“O taste and see that the Lord is good; How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!”
Psalm 34:8