“O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens.” (Psalm 8:1, ESV)
The greatest artist is God. Think about the creation. Think about the universe. There is beauty all around us. Not one of us could match it if we tried. The creation is the masterpiece of all masterpieces.
I know I will often get in a hurry and I fail to take notice of the magnificence around me. Sometimes I just need to stop and look up at the big blue sky. Sometimes I need to pause and smell the flowers. There is beauty all around you and me if we take notice.
It reminds me of a story about a famous violin player named Joshua Bell. Joshua plays at a sold out theaters where people pay more than $100 to hear him perform. But one day Joshua sat in one of the busiest metro stations on a cold January morning in Washington, DC. There he played his Stradivarius violin estimated to be worth $3.5 million for 45 minutes. But no one noticed. Only six people – out of the thousands that passed by – paused even for a moment, but then quickly went on their way. There was no applause at the end of the performance. No one took notice of this gem in the subway.
It was an experiment conducted by the Washington Post. The experiment was to measure if people would perceive beauty and appreciate it in an unexpected environment at an inappropriate hour. The answer was clear at the end.
The lesson for us is not to take for granted the things that around us. God has put around us more than we ever realized – beauty, skill, opportunity, love, fulfillment, abundance. Let’s open our eyes and our ears. We ask that he would give us the wisdom and discernment to see those many blessings.
Reflection
- Stop and pause this day to recognize the beauty that God has put around you.
- What are you failing to recognize this day?
Prayer
Thank you God for beauty. Thank you for the sunset. Thank you for the mountains. Thank you for music. Thank you for the flowers of the field. There is so much beauty around us! Help us to take the time to appreciate it for what it is and to recognize you as the creator of all good things. Amen.
Ellen says
Thank you for the reminder!