Beauty is in the Eye of the Beholder

What a beautiful sight to wake up this morning and see the world blanketed with snow! Being a lover of hot weather and sweet summertime, I am not really a fan of all this snow. I do try to stay positive though, so after some pondering, I was able to come up with a new way of thinking to get rid of my winter blahs.

To me it's always very sad when the leaves fall off the trees because it's a sign that we must settle in for the long winter.  The trees look so bare and ugly compared to the beauty of spring's buds, summer's fullness, and fall's vibrant colors.  This morning when I saw those snow covered trees, I thought about how smart God is to make the trees bare in the winter because when the snow covers them, they are simply breathtaking.

Do you know someone around you who, like that winter tree, is going through a stage in life where they feel bare?  Maybe they have experienced hard times or sadness.  Maybe they are battling uncertainty or feeling lonely. Sometimes when we go through difficult times, we lose our focus and forget about the beauty that is inside of others or ourselves.

1 Peter 3:3-4 says
Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes.  Instead it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight.  

In the struggles of life, what if we decided to see the beauty in all situations? How would that impact our attitude and how could those thoughts encourage others around us? Whenever the opportunity presents itself, seize the moment to tell someone how beautiful they are to you.  By choosing to see the beautiful snow covered tree, rather than the ugly, barren, brown one, you will make God smile and that is of great worth.