The Search for Beauty

What a weird semester...I can honestly say I'm a different person than I was at the beginning of it. I feel kind of awkward saying that, but I've come to the conclusion that it is a good thing.

Things kind of got off to a rocky start this semester, and it seemed to stay that way for a prolonged period of time... definitely longer than I am used to or comfortable with. I had just returned from two months traveling in Europe (primarily Poland) doing something which I believed was the most meaningful thing I'd done all year. Now, I found myself back in school, something which seemed not so meaningful and rather mundane and ordinary. Sitting in a class room just couldn't compare with being out interacting with people. Thus, began my search...

About this time, I came across an article written in a magazine put out by a local church. In it was a list, "How to Cultivate Beauty in Your Life." Seeing as my life felt pretty boring at this point, this sounded pretty appealing to me. I had already been doing a lot of the things which were listed, but this encouraged me to take some of them to a whole new level. Many nights, I would stay up late making Photoshop creations. I took pictures of everything. I doubled the number of songs I knew on piano. I started a band with a few friends. I even learned to cook a few new recipes.

The joys of creating subsided some of the discontent with the level of excitement in my life. I was starting to recognize some of the ordinary beauties of life that God had placed all around me, and that in itself was exciting (how much joy He must have received in creating the heavens and earth!). Still, I fought through my school work rather begrudgingly. It was often put off by some other project, but it always got done.

About a month ago I started to notice a change. I would be sitting in Sunday school or Bible study and all of a sudden things would just click. When someone would bring up a topic, I could think of Bible passages that related to the topic. When we were discussing a passage, I would be able to remember some of the historical background relating to it. When we would read a verse sometimes I could recite parts of it from memory... I had actually been retaining some of what I was learning in school!

Despite the terrible attitude I've had toward school, it appears God has honored the work I've put in there. It is humbling, because I am totally undeserving of that. However, it has served as an important reminder of why I am where I am, and it has showed me of the importance of all that I am learning and its practical value.

In Romans 10:15, Paul quotes Isaiah 52:7 saying "how beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news." I guess if I truly want to find beauty in my life, I need to learn as much as I can about the good news while I have the opportunity. Then I will be ready to share it with others in any occasion.