Finding Beauty in Everything

The past couple weeks have been a blur full of trials, challenges, big choices, loss, and so much more. It seems like everything that went on in the last couple weeks would normally take place over the span of a few months. A friend that I have know for many years who had been battling cancer had a point where he was no longer battling cancer and was able to start living life cancer- free then about five years later or so a different form of cancer came back and to top it all off this cancer was caused from the radiation therapy that was administered to him to battle the first round of cancer. Over the years since he was re- diagnosed he has gone through surgeries, had a portion of his skull removed, and continue battling cancer. After having his last surgery he passed away a couple weeks ago. In the midst of everything chaotic, busy, and at times insane I have continually been reminded of God's goodness. Now, that is not to say that every bad or disheartening thing has turned into something good or that anything has been reversed but it is to say that in the midst of the storm my God, my Rock has been very faithful and graceful to me. But that is not to say that there has not been some fear and anxiety along the way. I am reminded of the apostles who would react in fear in the face of hopeless seeming situations as they did when a storm came upon their boat and they had fear because instead of instantly calming the sea, Jesus slept;
Mark 4: 36-41 "³⁶ And leaving the crowd behind, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. Other boats were with him. ³⁷ A great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that the boat was already being swamped. ³⁸ But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke him up and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” ³⁹ He woke up and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” Then the wind ceased, and there was a dead calm. ⁴⁰ He said to them, “Why are you afraid? Have you still no faith?” ⁴¹ And they were filled with great awe and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?” 


Verse 38-39 definitely reminds me of myself at times, when things get chaotic and everything seems to be stacking up against me it's easy to get nervous and wonder when exactly God is planning on showing up. Yet, even when I become a bit of a mess God is always so gracious in the way that He takes care of everything all the while reassuring me and reminding me that He is good and faithful. I love the way that the New Revised Standard Version says, "Peace, be still." I am sure that God has said that to me many times and in many different situations. He is always so gracious and speaks so tenderly and shows me bits of his beauty in everything. If possible I am going to include pictures from a trip that my husband and I took with his dad’s side out to Tucson, Arizona to spend some time with Grandma Suzie. We had the opportunity to visit a Botanical/ Butterfly Garden, which was actually a few little gardens within the property and they were so beautiful and filled with life. Enjoy loved ones.