Cecil Alexander wrote a little poem titled “All things Beautiful.” I will share a little of it in this blog today. How do you look at things? What do you see around you and in others? Is your outlook positive or negative? People often see exactly how they perceive things to be. I remember a couple of years ago I was in a restaurant and a few tables over from me was a man that looked like a biker. I’m talking Harley Davidson type biker not a biker from Decatur with his spandex breeches and micro seat. His hair was long and in a ponytail. I wondered if he was packing some heat. Tattoos covered his arms. My first thought, when did this guy get out of prison? I saw what I wanted to see. A couple of minutes later an attractive lady with two kids came into the restaurant. The kids ran to the table and this rough looking man picked up the kids, hugging and kissing them as gently as could be. Turns out he was a dad, a family man. His early life had issues but now it was turned around. I had to repent of my judgmental attitude. Philippians 4:8 gives us a list of things to think about. True things, honest things, just things, pure things, lovely things, good reported things, things that are virtuous and praise worthy. As you go through your day, do you see these or just the bad news? There is plenty of that. The Lord has created a beautiful world. Man has marred it to a degree, but it is still a beautiful creation. Take joy from what you see. Look for the good. Listen for happy news. Look at life through a child’s eyes. A few days ago, our five-year-old granddaughter came into the house excited as she could be. Why? Izzy had found a green caterpillar on a plant in the flower bed. She had to show everybody in the house this insect, her new pet. Her wonder and excitement was a source of great joy for her Papa. She saw beauty in a green insect. When is the last time that happened to you?
“All things bright and beautiful,
All creatures great and small,
All things wise and wonderful,
The Lord God made them all.
Each little flower that opens,
Each little bird that sings,
He made their glowing colors,
He made their tiny wings.
The purple-headed mountain,
The river running by,
The sunset, and the morning,
That brighten up the sky.
He gave us eyes to see them,
And lips that we might tell,
How great is God Almighty,
Who has made all things well.”
As adults, many of us do see that God has made all things well. Let’s look at God’s creation in a different light. Let’s look through a child’s eyes. Let’s not rush to judgments about others. Give them the benefit of the doubt just as you would want that same benefit.