Hidden Beauty

Sometimes the beauty in life isn't found with naked eyes. It could be so small that one would miss it easily. Only when one intently looks for it that it is found. And once you start on that journey of spotting the beautiful, you cannot deny just how they are everywhere, in everything, the good and the bad. Why, then, aren't you looking for the beauty, the things that spark your heart in flames of love and joy? The world is how you see it to be. It can be cruel and sad, or it can be one filled with hope. It's about perspective. You may have gone through some real terrible things in life, but when you look back, would you wish it never happened? Or would you be grateful that it made you stronger, more compassionate, more empathetic towards those who are struggling? Are you not more relatable? Have you not glimpsed into a space where you saw God's love in such a different way? If I point it out to you, would you see it then? See how the light followed you as you went about your life. The path is never straight, but it leads you somewhere, closer to God, closer to people, closer to creation. And that's what makes life beautiful, the chance to see how people grow, even when circumstances don't change; how people see the blue sky when the world remains unchanged. Make your world beautiful; choose to see the colours the hope, the freedom, the beauty in all things.

*****

Life can be a bumpy ride. We may be people with pride and self-confidence one day, and the next, we have no courage and can't be bothered getting out of bed. Truth is, no single day is alike, and sometimes, frankly, we just can't see the light down the tunnel. No matter where you are today, know that you are not alone and it is okay to feel how you feel. I've been there. I've felt like the world has shrunk on me, and everywhere I went I couldn't lift my head; I was scared of people, scared of them making my circumstance into a big deal and run away from me only after I've invested in building a friendship. I was so scared to a point that I had no courage left. I wanted things to change. I wanted my circumstance to change. I wished I had a normal life. I wished I could be like everybody else. I was alone, in my thoughts, and felt so in my life. Getting out of bed was hard. Driving to work without crying was impossible. Some days I wanted to scream at God for leaving me in the space of despondency.

In the past, I prayed for things to change, so that I could have no reason to not lift my head when I go into a Christian setting, no reason to feel not comfortable to invite new people into my life. However, as you may know, my circumstance hasn't changed. The easiest thing to do is to be angry, at God, at life itself. Mid last year, I came to the point of realising that I could choose to be angry at God for His silence or I could choose not to be. It was a simple equation. Of course, I chose the later.

You know why Eve chose to eat the fruit in Genesis?

It wasn't because she was the weaker one, (and beside the point that she received the instruction secondhand through Adam). It was because she didn't trust that God is good (and neither did Adam). They both didn't believe what God has instructed was good for them, and hence, they succumbed to the temptation.

Why am I bringing this up?

Because we can allow the circumstances in our lives tempt us into thinking that God isn't good, so much so that our minds become toxic and blind us from seeing the beautiful in life. Allow yourself to go back to the moment when you first fell in love with Jesus. Do you remember that feeling? Do you know why you fell in love with Him? Then, should you let everything that's happened in your life take away that love you have for Him, when He has remained unchanged in His character.

Thing is: life happens sometimes. We can choose to see that God is good, or we can choose to become bitter. It isn't easy to do this on your own; that's why being in a community is so important, whether that be family or friends. I, for one, think that anyone who has gone through the rough of the roughs and the toughest of toughs while maintaining faith and still being able to praise God through them all are the most beautiful people. It's not because they're full of scars. No. It's because they got to see just how beautiful God is through the silence, how good He is when everything around them screams the opposite. They got to see God in their spirits, in their souls, and with their naked eyes.

If you are struggling today, then know that you are not alone. Take some time to appreciate the flowers, the sky, the stars, the creation and the people around you. Take a deep breath. Allow yourself to enjoy the moment, to live in this moment, for there will not be another moment like this. Every second of everyday is one chance, one time. Don't let troubles allow you to let it slip away. On the other hand, if you are in a good space, then be a light. Bring heaven to those around you. Let the love you have for God in you to overflow.

Blessings and peace be with you.