Beauty Becometh the Beholder

Late yesterday, I floated in the deep end of my grandparents' pool, admiring the depths of the night sky but not searching them as I often do. Whisps of cloud hazed sleekly over one spot, then lingered to another, twisting through the constellations as I twisted through the cool water.

The pace of my life at this moment has a restfulness to it that I've never felt before, and I can't help but savor it. It is the rest that must come from 'rooting' - choosing to know and be known, love and be loved, HERE and NOW; a rest in the peace of my mom's salvation, and my dad's regeneration; a rest in my Father's love, and in my "fathers'" love. A rest in the realization of my beauty as a woman of God - a beauty my Father shows me daily, and my fathers reassure me of. A rest in friendship, a rest in hope. A rest in possibility and goodness. A rest in uncertainty and the unknown because my God is certain, and He makes Himself known.

Before I drove to Gram and Grandpa's last night, I'd been at the town library for a "Cooking with Edible Flowers" workshop taught by a local chef - a beautiful woman and mother with a beautiful garden and a love of beautiful food.

Beauty speaks ~ all shall be well
Beauty invites ~ explore me, search me, delight in me
Beauty nourishes ~ I offer you life, be well. Be satisfied and filled
Beauty comforts ~ peace, peace; rest a while in me
Beauty inspires ~ be beautiful as I am beautiful
Beauty transcends ~ there is a glory calling to you; this is as it was meant to be
(Observations from "Captivating" by John and Stasi Eldredge)

The dish we made tasted as a symphony sounds. It was beautiful in every sense of the word Beauty. The library is closing soon, but I will come back another day and share the recipe because we all should be so fortunate as to delight in this. We created a simple rice dish, using fresh herbs and edible flowers - a chorus of flavors. Licorice, lemon, onion, mint (all coming from various flowers) served with a stir-fry of zucchini, summer squash, and carrot... and day-lily petals which taste like sweet peas. Mmmm.

There is such enjoyment and rest to be found in the creation of an excellent meal, especially when it's a joint creation. Fresh and wholesome foods, shared exploration and discovery, joy in and at the culmination of the two: delicious, holistic nourishment and satisfaction are inevitable.

Beauty is not to be consumed carelessly nor hoarded with jealousy and fear, but delighted in and shone to the world - true Beauty is impossible to hide once recognized. So it is with our gracious Redeemer and the Creator of this beautiful universe and all therein. His Beauty Speaks, Invites, Nourishes, Comforts, Inspires, and Transcends - our recognition of His Beauty (because He opens our senses, minds, and hearts to know it) makes the joy of partaking become impossible to hide and compells us to share.

Do you know He is beautiful? Do you find rest in His beauty? Does it inspire you? Can you look in the face of your Creator and see that all is well, all will be well? I pray you can and do. I pray He makes Himself known to you, makes you taste and see that the LORD is gracious and good. Because He truly is, and there is REAL joy - everlasting! - to be found there.

May the grace and peace of the LORD, God be with you today and always. Amen.