by Beth Vogt @BethVogt
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| "Each moment of the year has it's own beauty." Ralph Waldo Emerson |
Most
of my days start with a good 3 1/2 mile walk with my friend Mary. We walk and
talk—and we look for “a
little bit of pretty,” as we’ve come to call
it.
It
all started when we noticed a wooden bench in a yard we were walking past—a
little bit of pretty, even though one arm on the bench was broken.
Mary and I talked about that phrase—a little bit of pretty—and each morning after that our eyes—and our
hearts—were wide open for more “pretties.”
Looking
for beauty somewhere … anywhere … everywhere changed our walks. We’d walked the
same 3 1/2 miles for weeks—sometimes clockwise, sometimes counterclockwise—but
always the same streets. But now we were noticing things we hadn’t seen before.
Our
perspectives changed.
And
life is all about perspective.
I
savored autumn a bit more this year as I walked and sought out each new a little bit of pretty.
And
being so intentional helped me face a few emotional and spiritual
challenges, too. Because, as Emerson says, there is beauty in each moment …even if the beauty
is in knowing the moment will pass.
Or
knowing that you faced whatever challenge was in that moment—and conquered it.
Or
stood up to the fear — and somehow sifted it through your fingers and found
God’s unwavering peace that passes all understanding.
Maybe
the beauty in a grief-filled moment was the silence of a friend who didn’t try
to give you all the right answers … but instead, chose to just be with you.
In Your Words: What beautiful moments have you seen
lately?
Don’t forget to join the
conversation
Beth
TWEETABLES
Beth K. Vogt believes God’s best often waits behind the doors marked “Never.” A nonfiction writer and editor who said she’d never write fiction, Beth is now a novelist with Howard Books. She enjoys writing inspirational contemporary romance because she believes there’s more to happily-ever-after than the fairy tales tell us. Connect with Beth on her website, Twitter, Facebook, or check out her blog on quotes, In Others’Words.
Perspective is everything. I enjoyed this reminder to look for a little bit of pretty.
ReplyDeleteHolly, we've continued to look for "a little bit of pretty" as the season has changed. It's so fun to see where we can find them.
DeleteI love that. I think as writers or artists, we tend to see the beauty, and as a Christian, I marvel in God's creativity. :-) But I love the way you put it, Beth. A little bit of pretty.
ReplyDeleteAne: It's interesting how the first "a little bit of pretty" was found in something broken. But then, there was a bit of hope in that, you know?
DeleteJust after dawn this morning as I went out to pick up the paper I looked up. Saw the moon and just to the left of it, a pink plane trail. Doesn't sound that pretty, but it was!
ReplyDeleteI believe you, Pat, I do. :O)
DeleteA little bit of pretty. I like that. Walking with a child is a great way to find these. Seeing a slug trail. Or a new mushroom just pushing up before the sun changes it's color. I like to see the thin clouds and imagine God putting them up there with his wispy brush, in a curly wig of course. God's world is full of pretties.
ReplyDeleteYes, Tim, children slow us down so that we can more easily see those pretties he puts in our paths.
DeleteOn these cold days, the water has frozen in the animals' watering pans and tanks. When I poured water into the chickens' watering device, they all gathered around to take a drink. We have an assortment of breeds, sizes, and colors. I was amused by them gathering around the "water cooler." Thanks for sharing your "little bit of pretty," Beth. Great post.
ReplyDeleteJohnnie: Thank you for sharing a glimpse into your life today.
DeleteI remember reading somewhere, recently, something about there being different types of bloggers/writers. The type I remember most were those who focused on the beauty in life - could find beauty in something others would pass by, see the beautiful left in our world where others only see the evil. I love that!
ReplyDeleteAnd I always say, "Cell phones are distracting to drivers? Try sunsets or sunrises or a beautiful scene ... I've almost had more accidents watching something God does during my drive than when my cell phone rings!"
Alycia: I live in Colorado -- and God paints the most gorgeous sunsets over Pikes Peak! I don't ever want to treat them as typical or normal or expected. And yes, I have to remind myself to just drive at times and let the cell phone/camera be.
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