Good morning, friends…a while back, my family and I traveled to Western Carolina University in North Carolina to attend a marching band competition in support of my oldest son. While there, we took some family time to explore some of the surrounding area and as we had hoped, we landed right in the middle of Fall’s much anticipated arrival. Colors seemed to explode before our eyes as the sun made its way over the eastern side of the mountains and into the center of the sky, revealing what had been previously been hidden within the misty and frigid shadow.
We snapped 2,656 family pictures (seemed like :-)), competitively hunted for “the most beautiful leaf” and even climbed behind the protective fences to get too close to thundering waterfalls (naughty)…all while enjoying the beauty of what we could not have been fully appreciated only hours before.
That stuck with me as I gave thought to what I wanted to share with you this morning. The beauty of where we were was there the whole time, but could only be viewed and appreciated when the ethereal and warming light of the sun arrived.
With each passing day, we walk along the “mountain trails” of those around us as we interact with our families, friends and co-workers. We actively experience who they are while meandering along the gentle slope of their journey’s well-worn trails or struggle through the jagged and eroded places in their story where what had been is unfortunately no more…a privilege and challenge we have been divinely given. And yet, even as we live out this privilege, we often miss so much about those around us because we only operate in the shadows, squinting with tired, bloodshot eyes in faint light to make out what (or who) we think we see.
My challenge to you this weekend is this…actively explore the lives of those you encounter, but while doing so, ask God to shine His majestic and resplendent light on them in order that you may fully observe the raging colors and textures that makes the soul of each person indescribably beautiful in their own way. You will experience alluring and dazzling things in people you couldn’t fully perceive before because you’ll finally be using His Light to see them.
Have a great weekend…go love on some people!!
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