This time of year it is sometimes hard to notice beauty in our surroundings. Much of the United States is still seeing snow. Much more of it sees only brown mud and brown grass. The trees are bare and gray. The sky is often gray as well. I am often tempted to feel depressed by the length of winter in February. I long for the sun and the freshness of spring.
However, I found this year that there is beauty to be found in the small things in nature, even in the dead of winter. My children and I discovered a wealth of detailed wonder in the lichen growing abundantly on the trees in our front yard. Even on the chilliest of days, there were little green and yellow signs of life clinging to the tree bark that otherwise looked so barren. Under the brown leaves on the muddy ground we could find patches of lush, green moss, soft and velvety like nature’s carpet in the woods. When we stopped to look closely, we found several different varieties of moss in place! On snowy days, a bright flash of blue darted across the yard–a brilliant blue jay, his suit never dulled by winter’s gray days. Then in another moment, we saw another flash, this time ruby red, telling us our friend the cardinal was nearby.
In all these small things, we found beauty and cause for rejoicing and praising our Creator.
What blessings can you find today, no matter how small, to give you a cause for rejoicing and praise? Look for beauty in the unexpected. Notice the details. Give God the praise!
~Kiel~
This post is part of the Five Minute Fridays link-up hosted by Kate Motaung. Join the FMF community and get your free-write on! Find my other Five Minute Fridays posts here.