Look Towards the Beautiful

Oftentimes it is so easy to get discouraged and there are even times where we feel devastated.  I came across this saying and it kind of struck a chord in me.

Going through a frustrating time, as many of us are during this ongoing flood, we tend to struggle, looking for a ray of hope. AND as hard as it is, we need to not let it shadow all that is beautiful in life.  Try not to let the tall weeds cast a shadow on that fact. Search for the beautiful, see it, take a picture of it with your eyes, hold it close to you and bring it to memory during those trying times.

    I wanted to share a couple of pictures with you. This first one is of my aunt's, (Holly Holmes) former flower garden before she moved to the country. Let me tell you, this woman can grow flowers. She has had so many beautiful flowers. I just loved this picture of these gorgeous Larkspurs blooming with the old Baptist Church in the background. A "take a picture with your eyes" moment.

This second picture I took around Memorial Day.  I came home from work and looked up towards town (Hamburg Main Street).  Tears came to my eyes, and I still can't look at this photo without getting emotional. Here, American flags, put up by the Boy Scouts, are flying on both sides of the street with a flood barrier running right across the middle of town. Despite the ongoing threat and uncertainty of more water, they chose to look towards the good and the beautiful...another "take a picture with your eyes" moment.

So I challenge us all to try and remember what's important and what's beautiful in the midst of all storms. Don't let the tall weeds cast a shadow. Push the weeds aside and bring to memory all those beautiful moments and pictures you "took with your eyes" and that are safely tucked away in your heart.

Wishing you all good things,

Mindy Raymond
Percival Church Blogger