Discover Beauty in Unexpected Places
“For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son; that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” John 3:16
Americans will spend more than 450 billion dollars on purchases that accompany the Christmas season. We go to great lengths to find the perfect gift: take laps around the mall, scroll through the monstrosity of Amazon, or, alas, pick up the last-minute Starbucks gift card. Some of us smother our precious cargo with Styrofoam peanuts and ship packages across the country to friends and family. Still others buy stock in double-stick tape as we patiently wrap must-have electronics and eye-shadow palettes.
We exchange cheesy white-elephant packages at office parties and deliver frosting-slathered sugar cookies to our neighbors. We donate Barbie dolls to the local toy drives, drop our change in buckets to bell-ringing Santas, and offer crayon masterpieces to our kids’ teachers. Gifts, gifts, and more gifts.
And then, just like that, the flurry of holiday festivities is over. You know the scene. Carefully crafted wrapping paper lies in a crumpled mound on the living room floor. That horrid orange sweater heads into the return pile while the last crumb of yummy goodness heads to our hips. We’re pooped. Mom and Dad savor a much-needed break, teachers relish the peace and quiet, and office computer screens sit blank for a couple days.
I’m not sure when the concept of gift giving began but let’s be honest – we all love to give and receive gifts. On a trip to the Holy Land, my Christmas gift came early one year in a little town called Bethlehem.
Beauty is still found in the most unexpected places. Nowhere is this truer than in the walled city of Bethlehem. Surrounded by armed guards and under Palestinian rule, I struggled to picture ancient streets where a young couple named Mary and Joseph stopped to find respite. It was here God gave the greatest gift: grace intersected humanity.
I found myself drawn to every word from our Christian guide. I bent low at the Door of Humility to enter the world’s oldest church, The Church of the Nativity. All bow to visit the birthplace of the King of Kings. Amidst the pungent smell of burning incense and the cacophony of Greek Orthodox prayers, God met me in a deeply personal way. For the first time in way too long, I sensed the magnitude of God’s divinely orchestrated symphony. I felt a dizzying awareness that God chose to include my story in the fabric of His story, written before time began.
I felt tiny. Humbled. Overwhelmed.
God’s plan was to redeem mankind by sending His Son to be born, not in the majesty of a palace, but in a dark, damp cave. Beauty is still found in the most unexpected places.
Bethlehem is home to a unique store with some of the most splendid Nativity sets found anywhere in the world. Living bravely behind a wall, local Christian artisans carve exquisite pieces out of olive wood. Resilient, they refuse to be diminished by brokenness. Although my budget would not allow me to take a Nativity home, I still received a gift: the indelible imprints on my heart from the unexpected beauty of Bethlehem.
What if the best present isn’t found in a mall or an online behemoth? More than anything, let’s give the gift of beauty. Let’s refuse to be diminished by brokenness and carve beauty into our world.
Our neighbors. Our family. Our schools.
The lost. The hurting. The fractured.
Beauty is still found in the most unexpected places.
Grace intersects humanity when you choose a posture of availability. Let humility invite you to bow low and encounter God in a new way. And as you do, let wonder wash over you once again.
Make Your Life Matter No Matter What,
With Love,
Angela
