I caught my son gazing at the beautiful sight in front of him. This is one of my favorite photos. Long ago, we visited a restaurant which is known for its decorated giant tree. We were pleasantly surprised to be seated right next to it. While the adults in our party were awed at first gaze, we quickly turned to conversation and the logistics of our dinner.
However, my then seven year old was not held by the confines of time or logistics. He initiated a posture which allowed him to enter into a space simply defined by wonder. The noise and business surrounding him was not a distraction.
This photo captures something I have tried to teach my children. Yet, I easily fall into the temptation to ignore it. I long for them to take notice of the beauty in their landscape at any given moment. As we grow older, it becomes easy to become distracted or even consumed by the screaming headlines and recognition that our world is still aching toward restoration. Dismissing the realities of the world we live in is not the answer. But acknowledging the beauty alongside the pain is necessary. They can coexist.
Although my kids are now big, I want this picture of my son to remind them to seek the organic and human skilled beauty that they encounter every day. I desire for them to incorporate the practice of poignant pauses in the midst of routine moments. Beauty has healing powers and it points back to a Creator who breathes its manifestation through all creation.
As I come alongside my big kids to remind them to embrace these moments, I must remind myself as well.
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