The heavens are the LORD’s heavens, but the earth he has given to the children of man.

~Psam 115:16

Some days it is easy to see the beauty. Other days, amidst our clinched fists or tear soaked tissues, our psyches cry out for places of quiet beauty.

On Ron’s journey to Paris, Normandy, Oxford, and London, man and God’s beauty were on display. Brilliant architecture, sculpture, and art captured in his lens while the sacrifices of human life one for another were caught in his heart.

Today, are you in a tough place looking for beauty? Have you, like I, failed one to many times, or so it seems, at living life in obedience to God’s commands? Or, are you face to face with tragedy and heartache asking why?

I have to tell you that in writing this blog, I aim to create scribblings of beauty to bring glory to God and edification to His Body, but often-times at the point of my sin I question my authority to even write. I long to make this a beautiful life but I know my everyday ugly. I know my failings  and my utter ineptness to live out a perfect life. Further still,to an extent, I know what reality is out there confronting mankind everyday.

We live among people in tough places. Sometimes we are them. Being in a tough place is a spectrum term, because for all purposes my points of difficulty are someone else’s points of perceived blessing.

Perhaps we who are looking for beauty in tough places should ask as the disciples did in Luke 11:1, “Lord teach us to pray.” (See Luke 11:10-13)

In certain tough places we have not beauty because we ask not. If we were to ask, the Father would give us more of the Holy Spirit who supplies love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control… all of which lead to a beautiful life. Or, in the very least, a life lived beautifully.

Asking Christ opens the door to answers unleashing beauty in the tough places. Perhaps not answered in the way we imagined nor in the timing we hoped but with the One who is faithful and true.

Lord, teach us to pray…

*All photos were taken by my husband, Ron, on his journey with Student Leadership University 301.