Longing for beauty

We long to be united with the beauty, to bathe in it & become part of it." -C. S. Lewis

Oh Mr. Lewis, you were so wise and incredibly good with words. Isn't that all we've ever longed for ... to see beauty, experience it and live in it?

My friend and I are still reading One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp and I continue to find myself scratching down word after word in my journal. This week the chapter we're on is talking about perspective & beauty. What does it look like to see God & His beauty? Voskamp says, "We give God the most glory when we're fully alive & we're most fully alive beholding God." While studying this, I looked up the word "beholding" because I've begun to love words and why authors choose certain words. "Behold," according to my dictionary, means "to see or observe a thing or person, especially a remarkable one." If we are beholding God, then we are fully seeing his greatness and beauty; and if we are doing that, then isn't it much easier to be FULL of joy?

I've spent the last few days thinking on this and letting this idea seep into my mind throughout the day. Taking note of the laughter of children, the smiles on wrinkled faces and the rain hitting the window while I sit cozy inside. Isn't it all about perspective? If we choose to see the beauty, relish in it and speak thanks for it, then we are truly living. 

Yesterday, I felt fully alive. My heart was beating fast, my hands were shaking & my mind was racing [honestly, I think I'm a little weird that my body responds this way when I'm excited ... a little dramatic, body.] We began our ESL class for the parents of our tutoring kids. I sat in on the class and was BEAMING the whole time. Y'all, their faces! They were thrilled to have the opportunity to learn English; they were full of joy! I sat further back and observed, accidentally [excitedly] yelling out, "YES! good job!" when a mom caught on to something. In the background were the tutoring kids running, laughing and every so often peeking in to "check on their parents." It was beautiful. Every little piece of it; from the volunteers, to the parents nervously giving a few English phrases a try, to moms of different cultures connecting over conversations about cooking & cleaning. I long for that daily, to see beauty so clearly. 

Ann Voskamp says, "Praying with eyes wide open is the only way to pray without ceasing." Absolutely, amen. Let's open our eyes and behold all the goodness around us.