Beauty breaking through

I’m sitting at the local coffee shop with a window view.

Although I’m staring at the parking lot – looking past it is pure beauty.

Finally we are getting to experience true Oregon Fall weather…
bright blue skies…
vibrant orange, red, and yellow leaves on the trees…
some blowing in the wind.

I notice one tall tree in particular and I am just mesmerized by the beauty of creation. The color in these trees simply blow me away.

But, what strikes me the most is that this beauty started as a seed… buried deep in the dark earth.

The seed, broken… to grow into the beauty I am appreciating today.

It’s God’s story written in creation.

His beauty coming from what looks to us like the ugly-broken.

I think about where else in creation we see this same story.

The butterfly.
Knowing the struggle it endures to be able to spread it’s wings and fly.
Considering the death of the ‘OLD’ to become the amazing ‘NEW’.

The Pearl.
The moment a small grain of sand irritates the flesh… after a time, turning it into a breathtaking pearl.

I think about rainbows, and how they are something that can only be seen when there is rain… and how, fire can make the ground better for growth after it is burned.

Sorrow and joy holding hands…
Our Lord bringing adversity so that we come to our knees and recognize our weakness.

Our weakness that looks so ugly to us – but, is beautiful to Him only because in weakness is His power perfected.

He knows the secret that When I am weak, then I am strong.

II Corinthians 12:9-10 NASB**
“And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong.”

My Ugly… His Beautiful.

**{In The Message version of these verses Paul’s calls his handicap and weakness a ‘gift’}

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This post is part of the 31 Day Challenge: My Ugly, His Beautiful. You can follow along here.

Care to join in on the writing challenge? The Nester is putting it on – you can learn more here.