“And so we are being transfigured much like the Messiah, our lives gradually becoming brighter and more beautiful as God enters our lives and we become like Him.” – 2 Corinthians 3:18 MSG
My hope for Wonder & Awe is that it would be a place where you could always come and find something small to celebrate. I am convinced that it is not the big trips to Europe or huge promotions that will bring me peace and joy, but that everyday I have to turn to God and find something small to celebrate and delight in.
There is so much beauty in the everyday. Beauty in getting the chance to walk to work, watch the sunset, and eat a good meal. An interesting study just reported that the secret to happiness is having low expectations. Waiting for your next big life event to bring happiness deprives us of finding joy in contentment. The world is big and should be explored but traveling and leisure do not change us.
More and more I have started to notice the beauty in pain. Pain breaks and shapes us in beautiful ways. The most beautiful people I know have very soft hearts because their hearts have been very, very broken. There is an empathy, deepness, and peace that radiates from a person who has walked through pain and not resisted it.
Of course, there are many beautiful, joyful people that did not need pain to create this kind of empathy in their hearts. I don’t know why that is and I don’t need to know. God does not promise us easy lives but does promise that He is transforming us to make us look more like Jesus.
There are so many ways to avoid pain and numb it. Instead of avoiding pain, let’s let it change us. Let’s stop resisting hard, painful moments and dive in trusting a sovereign God who brings healing and beauty out of brokenness.
