I don't call much ugly...except evil and there is no beauty in that, except that perhaps evil gives the juxtaposition to show true beauty in all it's glory...so okay, evil has it's uses, it shows beauty off, but isn't beautiful itself. That aside, here is my beauty of the day.
I started Lent-ing today. Yes, I know traditional Lent begins on Ash Wednesday...46 days before Easter Sunday. In the Catholic tradition, it's forty days of sacrificial fast in preparation for Easter, but they take the six Sundays as mini Easters and give themselves a reprieve from their fast. I dunno...it just seems like cheating to me. So I always 'Lent' from either Ash Wednesday straight through to Palm Sunday, a week before Easter or start 40 days before Easter, which I'm doing this year. I am giving up spending and white and refined...no, I am not becoming a member of the proletariat, just giving up the white foods that plague my belly and hips and which I love to eat. The spending is another thing entirely. Truthfully eating and spending money are truly my toughest temptations. So I am not spending any money except on gas, groceries, personal grooming stuff (nails, haircut, shampoo, etc) and my monthly bills. No eating out (that's a biggie), no going out to movies, no buying clothes...It will be a good practice. So where's the beauty in the ugly? The ugly is my human nature that groans at the thought of giving up anything that I desire. The beauty is in the choice to sacrifice my desire to His will. While it is truthfully very little I am giving up, I figure if Jesus can stand forty days in the desert without eating and the devil hounding Him, certainly I can do this little thing for His sake, and to His glory. That's the beauty in it.
I'm the school secretary. Everyone sends the sick kids to the office. There's a bug going around and in the last two days we've sent home no less than 25 kids with the stomach flu. We should have a revolving door into the office. And there's a sickly smell permeating the sick room. Ugh....or ugly. But in it, I get to comfort these poor little darlings, get them some cold cloths for their heads, a hot water bottle for their tummy, or a sip of water...and I call their mommy to come and get them. It's a responsibility I truthfully treasure...I do adore them.
I was part of a course today...'Building Trust Under Pressure'. Some of the situations shared around the table were pretty ugly. The beauty in it though was the support and encouragement around the table. In being able to share with objective people, while learning new skills to approach difficult problems, I think some of the people at least were finally able to see the good that could come out of the situations. Hope is a beautiful gift.
There is almost always a little beauty in an ugly situation or thing....isn't that piggy so cute?
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