Balance Between Beauty and Despair

Have you ever looked out at a beautiful sunset and been in complete wonder of God's magnificence? Or watched a small child do something that sent pure joy right through you? Maybe you've stood in awe at the top of a mountain or watch the gracefulness of a gazelle in amazement. For those few moments all seems to right with the world. Watching a thing of pure beauty as it happens is an incredible thing.

There are so many moments in my life, I have had like these. Like watching the sunrise over the horizon, having my breath taken away and feeling like I just got kissed good morning by God.
Times where I held my child cradled in my arms while I listened to them breathe softly. So many moments of beauty I can remember thinking all is well with the world. I can't help but wonder if these glimpses we get are what Adam and Eve enjoyed before the fall happened.

Then there are other times where I see such pain and despair around me. Children that are hurt by calloused parents. Homes ravaged and left smoldering by fire, leaving those residing there homeless. The casualties of flood and starvation in the world. Disease that cuts through someone’s body and leaves them broken or helpless.

I am astounded by the reality that there is beauty and despair all around us. Everywhere I look, I see both. How ironic it is that something looked at from one angle can look so beautiful but can also reap such ugliness. Take snow when it covers the landscape around us. When you look out your picture window to see white covering everything, there is a beauty that you see. That same snow that comes down in abundance can bring power lines down and cause accidents on the road. Power lines down which cause lack of heat and people to be put out of there homes.

Same can be said about fire and water. To see a fire burning or look out over the ocean brings a beautiful picture. But both can cause much despair when they rage out of control.

The point here is balance. Our world around us has a balance between the beauty in it and despair that runs through it. We too must have balance in all we do and how we look at things. If we only look at the beauty of things we will neglect those in need and become too focused on ourselves. On the other hand, we can not spend all our time looking at the despair around us or we will have no beauty in our lives. It is the beauty in life that brings us a little bit of heaven here on earth. Life would become too sad to live if all we focused on was the despair we see.

So we must find a balance. A balance between focusing our life on those things that bring true beauty into our life and the things that help those in the throws of despair. Although we do not like to look at or deal with the despair of others, I believe we must. We must because it keeps us humble and balanced. It is when we help another out of the pit of despair that we are boosted up a notch to see God.

Yes we can see God in the beauty around us but when we lend our hands to Him and help the hurt and needy, we get to see God in action.