Beauty in the Ordinary

There are moments in day to day life when I pause to peer at the beauty going on beneath the superficial surface… I look for the extra in the ordinary.

These moments tend to happen the most with family and friends.  Recently my immediate family finally got schedules coordinated to spend an afternoon together.  As my mom, dad, brother, sister and brother-in-law and I sat around the table, the conversation was a rather normal one.  There was nothing deep about it.  Nothing phenomenal.  But there was plenty of laughter in it... and love underlying it, which is the part I noticed and appreciated when I peered past the veneer of the ordinary.

Another memory that stands out is from Thanksgiving.  ...Yes, that was quite awhile ago, but it still sticks out vividly in my mind.  Anyway, I was chopping up fruit for a salad, my dad was trimming the turkey, my mom was finishing up mashed potatoes, my sister was setting the table and my brother-in-law was slicing some bread.  There was not a lot of chatter, and what talk there was mostly revolved around what needed to be done.

And I thought, how beautiful.  This is what really matters… this is the good stuff of life.  The bond of family.  Being with loved ones.  Working together for a common goal… even if it is just to make a meal.

Beauty is brought to ordinary tasks when love is the undercurrent flowing beneath.  That time with my family, though no words were spoken about it, I could feel the tie of the love that bound us together as we worked.  And my soul thrilled in it.
 
I have been paying more attention to those moments lately, purposefully looking out for them.  When I spot one I take the time to pause and soak it in, and praise God for the gift that it is. 

And something else I have noticed… the more connected I am with the beauty in the ordinary around me, the more connected I am with God, because I am actively aware of what God has done for me, how He has blessed me.  That in turn has cultivated an attitude of thankfulness and optimism in me.  And life is much more enjoyable that way.  

Another positive side effect of this awareness is that I have a desire to infuse beauty into the ordinary… paint some color into the common black and white… by spreading love and kindness to those around me.  It could be something as simple as a smile, a cheerful word of encouragement, or a listening ear.  Whatever way God can use me, I want to make myself ready and willing. 

Thank You God for opening my eyes to the beauty in the ordinary… for the ones that occur without any effort on my part, and for the opportunities You provide for me to make it into one.

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