Recently a friend was visiting and complimented me on my garden. I was surprised to hear her comments because winter is here, the flowers are gone, the trees are bare and I have a big list of things that need to be done before spring.
She looked at my garden and saw the beauty that was there. I looked and saw the imperfections.
Isn’t that how we so often view our lives? We focus on the negative – what we don’t like, what we don’t have, what needs to be done – and we miss the beauty all around us.
The winter garden does not flaunt its beauty like the spring but has a subtle charm you will miss if you don’t look closely. When the leaves are gone you can really see the texture and color of the peeling bark of the river birch and crepe myrtle. You see crimson berries peeking out from the holly shrubs and the brilliant red of the cardinal at the bird feeder. The beauty of an unexpected dusting of snow is breath-taking.
Christmas is the one time of the year when we ought to notice the beauty around us as we celebrate the miraculous gift of God’s Son. We get so focused on trying to fulfill some unrealistic expectation about the season that we fail to be amazed at the angels’ “tidings of great joy.”
I’ve decided this holiday to stop stressing about the things that aren’t that important and start focusing on the things that have lasting value. You see this perspective in Philippians 4:8 – “…whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.”
My life and yours are far from perfect, and many are dealing with challenges, disappointment, and sorrow. But there is beauty and things “worthy of praise” all around us waiting to be discovered.
I hope this Christmas you will enjoy the simple beauty of the winter garden and revel in the “good news” of the season.
