Life goes in stages. Sometimes it is incredibly lovely and all is well with our world. Other times it can be downright hard to spot anything lovely at all. But no matter how dark or frustrating our lives are, there is always beauty to be found. Sometimes we just have to search for it a bit harder.
We may spot it when a friend reaches out in our time of need. Or perhaps it is through a thoughtful note that encourages our heart. It may be hearing the perfect hymn or worship song just when we need it. Often it is through the Word of God.
Perhaps when the beauty is hard to find, the glimpses of it are even more precious.
November can be a little like this. Most of the flowers have faded. The world is turning many shades of brown as plants die off for the winter. Trees look like sentinels as their leaves drop to form a carpet at their base. While some trees turn vivid and bright colors and provide a beautiful view from far away, it is definitely harder to find any beauty close-up at this time of year.
Last week, I decided to do some searching for the beauty of autumn. For those of you who may be a new reader to Growing 4 Life, you may not know that I am a {very} amateur photographer (I don’t even really like to call myself a “photographer” as I care absolutely nothing for apertures, lenses, or ISO but just love to take photos!) This past year I purchased a membership to a local garden. I shared some of my photos in the spring and in the summer. At that time, it was abundantly easy to find beauty. In fact, I had a hard time choosing which photos to share, there were just so many. But this last trip was a bit of a challenge. Instead of flowers, I found berries. Instead of green leaves, I found yellows and reds. Instead of bees and butterflies, I found noisy birds and busy squirrels.
I hope you enjoy these photos. And I hope they encourage you to find the beauty in your own life. As we celebrate Thanksgiving this week, may we remember just how kind and gracious our Creator is. May we remember just how blessed we are. And may we be an overflowing source of encouragement to a soul who may be struggling to find the beauty in their own life this holiday season.
To everything there is a season,
A time for every purpose under heaven:
(Ecclesiastes 3:1)
So if you are still with me through all of those photos, I have one final treat for you. This gardens gives a beautiful view of our local amusement park. I just had to share–
