The other day I was watching a video Sadie Robertson made (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SeW30rMJg_M&feature=youtu.be).
It snagged my attention because my Mom and I had just been chatting about the same thing…that you’ll find whatever you’re seeking. You’ll find what you’re looking for. What you’re looking for is what you’re focused on, and what you’re focused on is where your mind and heart are…so what we seek is pretty important! Sadie mentioned how people tend to seek bad things; our first thoughts are often critical and degrading toward what we’re looking at, including ourselves. So we should stop seeking the bad and begin looking for the good. I was reading an article the other day that talked about seeking simple beauty. That phrase stuck with me: seek simple beauty. Because often when I decide to start seeking the beautiful instead of the ugly, my mind races to Pinterest. I envision zip lining over gorgeous landscapes, laughing with friends at the beach, hiking up to beautiful waterfalls, and having the perfect, clean room with everything stylish and cute, writing this blog on a white desk with a vase filled with wildflowers and pink roses, overlooking a beautiful lake with ducks swimming in it.
Yeah…not the most realistic thing ever.
So then I become frustrated as I seek this elusive beautiful “perfection,” and irritated that I can’t have it. Why won’t God just give me what I want? Including the swimming ducks? 😉
The sad thing is at that point I’ve completely forgotten about the beautiful things He has given me. I’ve let go of reality for a chase at what God never intended for me—because if God wanted me to have those things, I would have those things. Have I forgotten about my cool laptop I love because it’s a touch screen? How about my window seat where I can write and feel the cool breeze and listen to the birds sing? How about the sweet notes on my desk, the new bedspread, and soft green walls I love so much? Did I ever thank God for giving me such a fun day yesterday, or was I so worried about what I want him to give me today that I forgot to say thank you?
God is a God of beauty. He has placed beautiful things all around us. Let’s actively seek them out today. I don’t want to miss a single display of his beauty. So whether it’s in the plot, the setting, the characters, or anything else today…let’s be on the lookout for glimpses of God’s beauty. As Sadie says, when we’re seeking beauty we will find it, “because God put beauty in everyone and in everything.” And when we find that beauty, let’s not forget to thank him and celebrate.
“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.”—Matthew 7:7-8
“This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.”—Psalm 118:24
