Purpose-driven leaders with laser-beam focus. There’s something to be said for that. But are we so fixated on our goals that we look right past other key things around us? I sometimes do.
On my quest to savor summer by watching a sunrise each week, I slipped out of bed at 5:30 last Tuesday. With camera in hand, I sat in the corner of our driveway facing east.
Waiting, waiting, waiting.
Suddenly, I noticed dew clustered on hosta blooms. I turned my head and discovered jewels suspended from Japanese maple leaves. Across the road, mist caressed the valley.
My beauty meter on full alert, I walked to a nearby cornfield admiring its verdant expanse, alluring tunnels between rows, intriguing leaf formations, and a sprout of glistening silk.
I was so mesmerized by the unexpected beauty around me that I nearly missed the sunrise!
Beauty does that. It invites. It excites. It delights.
I snapped a few pictures of the sunrise and went inside with a spirit that was both awakened and quieted.
I decided to search for more jewels – this time in Scripture – the same verses I’d read the day before. But if I looked closer and from different angles, what might I find in Psalms 24 and 25?
Ps. 24:1 The earth is the Lord’s… and those who dwell therein. “You own me, Father. I belong to You. Such a comforting, anchoring reality.”
Ps. 24:3-4 Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord? He… who does not lift up his soul to what is false. “Help me not to draw near to faulty thinking, or to entertain the enemy’s lies.”
Ps. 25:1 To You, O Lord, I lift up my soul. “I intentionally turn toward You, Jesus, Spirit of Truth.”
That entire morning was filled with anticipation, discovery, unexpected delight, and contentment. It made me think of my fast pace through life, my tendency to see just the big picture, and to scan most everything else. I collected a few jewel-principles that morning.
1. Make an intention to savor. My commitment to watch a sunrise each week this summer has yielded a savoring of not just summer but God as well. Ask God for a new way to intentionally taste and see His goodness.
2. Slow down and notice. Whether it’s the way the sun paints the sky as it sinks beneath the horizon, or the cloud that darkens your coworker’s face, take the time to observe and respond. Pause and watch the sunset, or pause to speak with your coworker.
3. Enjoy the discovery. Everyone likes “aha” moments when we uncover a treasure. When you set out to look for God’s handiwork, you’ll experience the exhilaration of finding it.
4. Revel in the beauty. Pause, notice its simplicity or splendor, let your soul soar, take a picture with a camera or your heart. Thank God for the evidence of His presence.
5. Radiate beauty. As you appreciate beauty – whether in nature, Scripture, ministry advancement, or a staff member’s achievement – you’ll radiate it. Beauty is contagious.
It’s not a question of whether or not God is beautifully present in our moments and surroundings, it’s a question of whether we’re aware.
In the creation account, and the end of each day God took the time to see. Again and again the verses say, He looked over what He had made “and saw that it was good.” The Hebrew word for saw means to “enjoy, experience, and gaze upon joyfully.”
Let’s take our cues from God and open our eyes to His beauty. Eyes wide open see God’s beauty and goodness all day long.
“Eyes wide open see God’s beauty and goodness all day long.”
-Lisa Hosler
Taste and see that the Lord is good.
Psalm 34:8
In what ways do you intentionally pause as a leader to stay refreshed in God? Feel free to share your thoughts in the Comment Section below.
