Fresh Encounters With Beauty
“For you make me glad by your deeds, O Lord; I sing for joy at the work of your hands.” (Psalm 92:4)
Today my heart is filled with gratitude for the beauty of God’s Creation. Over the past week I had a chance to make numerous visits to Henderson Sloughs Wildlife Management Area. During these seven days I discovered a couple of new places that turned out to be truly special. One was a vast area, mostly dry this week, covered with tens of thousands of lotus plants in bloom. It was a spectacular sight, to say the least. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen anything quite like it before. It was so beautiful I went back three days in a row so I could photograph it in different types of light.
Later in the week I came upon yet another new spot in the Sloughs. This place was a wetland that also contained numerous lotus flowers. The difference between this location and the previous one is that the lotus flowers here were surrounded by a sea of purple pickerelweed. The panoramic view here was stunningly beautiful. It, too, called for multiple visits to do photography.
Because I have visited so many national parks and other popular scenic areas it is hard to find scenes now that blow me away. I have seen so much beauty it’s hard for me to be impressed at times. The two spots I visited this week were definitely exceptions. Being at both spots filled me with joy, awe and wonder. I felt blessed just to witness such beauty. I felt doubly blessed knowing that both places were only about twenty minutes away from where I live.
Before long both places will lose the beauty I beheld this past week. The lotus flowers and pickerelweed blossoms will fade away and not be seen for another year. Many of nature’s best shows are short-lived. How grateful I am that I got to witness the show this year! Knowing that the show will be repeated next year gives me something to look forward to. I certainly don’t want to miss it.
One of the sad and ironic things about the two places I’ve described for you is that very few people even know about them. Neither place is all that difficult to get to but they do require a bit of effort to view. It doesn’t help that neither can be seen from the road. I lament that so few people got to view this manifestation of God’s glory but I know that the handful of people who did witness the view were blessed by what they saw.
All of this got me to thinking that there are no doubt countless such places across the globe. Places of immense beauty that few people, if any, ever get to witness. Does that mean that all this beauty goes to waste? I think not. I believe that the beauty we behold in the world around us is not just for our pleasure but for the Creator’s as well. It is obvious that God delights in beauty. God finds joy in the beauty of His handiwork whether we or anyone else notices. I find that thought comforting but am quite certain that God’s desire is to share this beauty with us. This beauty rejuvenates us, inspires us, and enriches our lives. This beauty offers us a glimpse into the heart of God and reveals a love that knows no limits. This beauty, as I said at the beginning, is enough to fill one’s heart with gratitude. Oh yes, after this past week my heart is full!
–Chuck