On Beauty and Trees

What a silly, empty wind we chase named "beauty."

Our shackled eyes see through lenses of fear, 

hurts, 

rejection, 

unrealistic goals...

and we wrongly assume everyone else's eyes see the same.

 

Nothing, besides other humans, do we seek to label in this way.

Straining to force individuals into a pre-determined mold we call "beauty."

 

Imagine the futility of wasting our God-given time, 

thoughts, 

and energy 

searching through the woods to compare & lable the trees.

Judging and belittling until one alone stood as the 

"most beautiful."

 

For how can one tree be more beautiful than the others?

Each one shaped by God... 

Ever changing,

growing,

healing,

producing...

 

Shining with glorious color in the autumn.

Baring their strength in winter. 

Heralding signs of new life in spring.

Offering rich brightness & shade in the summer.

 

We decorate the prickly ones,

swing on the large ones,

tenderly care for the small ones,

& dream under them all. 

 

It is, in fact, the uniqueness of the individual trees arranged as a group that creates the beauty of the forest.

Beauty of one is not threatened by the beauty beheld in another.

Each beauty is extremely different

standing together, 

all shapes, 

colors, 

ages, 

sizes... 

A sturdy bouquet of the creativeness of God. 

Beautiful.

 

Do we dare to believe that God displays even more beauty in each & every person whom He has dreamed up?

Those He personally knit together in His own image?

Are we brave enough to reject such a deep seeded lie that there is a competition in which we are all pitted against one another...

a belief that our worth is at stake?

For that truly is a lie. 

Let us stop the tired comparisons

that harm ourselves & every other person,

and stand together...

unthreatened,

unashamed,

beautiful. 

"For we don’t dare classify or compare ourselves... in measuring themselves by themselves and comparing themselves to themselves, they lack understanding." (2 Corinthians 10:12)