The Beauty Response

Ugly things happen – things that don’t make sense – things that are just WRONG: Tragedy, confusion, and loss – inexplicable things.

We hear about them all the time. There is an enemy of our souls who seeks to kill, steal and destroy. Lives are taken, destroyed, crippled or marred. Hearts break, hearts shatter.

There is a time to take stock of loss. There is a time to grieve. There is a time to weep with those who weep. There is a time to be brave and champion what needs to be done. There is also a time we need to recognize and acknowledge a part of ourselves that has been wounded and allow ourselves to grieve real loss. This is healing and good!

But God always has a response. He has overcome evil with good. Sometimes He moves miraculously. Sometimes that miracle manifests in how compassion rises up in us to pull us together in unified action, putting aside our differences, on behalf of others.

I love the way The Voice version of the Bible puts it in Romans 12:21:

Never let evil get the best of you; instead, overpower evil with the good.

I love that! How often has evil swooped in to overpower and overcome people, including ourselves, in the areas they/we are most vulnerable? But we ALWAYS get to choose how we respond. We can CHOOSE to be powerful and love in the midst of ugly. What that looks like is as limitless as God Himself and it does not always look warm and fuzzy. However it looks, evil does not get to have the last word. We can overpower evil with good.

As we connect with God, we have a powerhouse in unlimited supply. Every human being was created in the image and likeness of God. Every human being was created by Love, in love, for love, to be loved, to love. And Love never fails. Love is a person. Love created the universe and is expanding it. Love knows every detail about His creation and where it went amok. Love “gets” where those harmed by ugly are. Love also “gets” where those who did the harm are. Love is beautiful and inspires a beautiful response to ugly.

At the end of the day, all of God’s creation was made in love and beauty. The enemy of our souls wants to destroy and use us to destroy one another. We get to choose love. We get to be powerful. We get to draw upon the strength of the person of Love to love in the midst of ugly. God has made us resilient. We are stronger than we know.

What we agree with will either make us stronger or weaker. What we focus on, we empower. Do we focus on the ugly or do we focus on the beautiful? Do we focus on the ugly in others and ourselves or do we focus on the beauty in others and ourselves? God has placed reserves within us. He, Himself, wants to partner with you to bring beauty for ashes and He is looking for your, “yes”.

The Message Version of Psalm 126:4-6 is so wonderful:

And now, God, do it again bring rains to our drought-stricken lives, so those who planted their crops in despair will shout hurrahs at the harvest. So those who went off with heavy hearts will come home laughing, with armloads of blessing.

Several years ago, we had devastating forest fires with loss of thousands upon thousands of acres of property and lives as well. Driving through the areas where fire devastated and blackened the earth was surreal and looked like a war-zone, a desolate planet in our back yard. But those areas are now bearing life and greenery and beauty! Beauty cannot be held back. The truth is that with all the attempts the enemy has made to kill, steal and destroy – life, beauty, love, relationship, joy, laughter and the morning comes!

As I write this, I am glancing at the most amazing glorious sunrise. God has lit up the skies with color, light and His glory. The earth is just waking up in His color and light. Let’s also wake up to His love and beauty that cannot be held back!

For more on Love’s ability to bring beauty for ashes, I encourage you to check out my mini-book, “Rare and Beautiful Treasures”. You can download it for free here.