Beauty in the Suffering

 Despite the sun there is a chill in the air that reminds me that winter is on the way. However, we had snow at this time last year so I'm thankful for the sunshine. It allows me to get outside and do what I love best, walk through the woods and fields.

There is something within me that communes better with the Lord in those wide open spaces. When I'm feeling down, Dan will often nudge me out the door and outside to walk. As I walk, my spirits lift, I am able to better pray and hear from God.

Leaves are still stubbornly clinging to some trees. Everything has changed from looking like a patchwork quilt, to being brown and dry. But there is a beauty even in the muted browns and the dying leaves. 

The same is true of our lives. Even in our hard times there can be beauty as we see the Lord working in our circumstances. Each day for the past two weeks I've read Facebook memories of the time three years ago when I was caring for my mother who was dying of cancer. They are hard memories that transport me back to that time, but I also see the beauty in them.

There was beauty in being able to care for someone at the end of their life. It was beautiful to play hymns for her all day long. There was beauty in my sister and I working together to care for her and my stepfather, who has Alzheimer's. We met his children for the first time and it was beautiful to see how we all got along and worked together. And there was a terrible beauty as my mom took her final breath and while we were grieving, we also rejoiced knowing she was transported into glory and was no longer suffering.

Each moment of our suffering lives are mixed with beauty. We just need to look for the beautiful. At times, it's easy to see. Other times, you need to strain your eyes to look for it. It may be in the kindness of others, a momentary glimpse of glory or just the ability to look up from our circumstance and see the beauty in nature.

Life can be full of suffering, but can be full of beauty at the same time. I do look forward to the day when all suffering will cease, but in the meantime, I'm thankful for the glimpses of beauty that I can see each day.