All things beautiful...

 Exquisite.  That was the word on my tongue as I returned from depositing hoodlums into the care and keeping of school staff.  The sun was glinting off frosty rooftops and everything was covered in prickly ice crystals.   I grabbed my camera and hopped out.  Compelled to attempt at capturing the artistry God had painted while I slumbered safe in His care, my shutter click, click, clicked. 

 A thought struck me.  Everything is beautiful, once painted white by the loving hand of God.  Weeds... old wood... mossy patches.  Scraggly rose hips become softened by the icy wrap.  Clumps of pesky weeds become miniature works of art, no two alike.  All covered in white by a master artist. 

 A little like us... we stumble.  We fail.  We break promises. We break relationships.  We overspend.  We give in to guilt.  We lie.  We fake it.  We try too hard.  We embarrass ourselves.  We say too much.  We don't say enough.  We cheat.  We quit.  We walk away.  We cling.  We hold that which doesn't matter too tightly.  We ignore needs.  We don't forgive.  We wound.

And for all of this, the white covering of grace wraps itself around our forms, creating a thing of breathtaking sparkle.  Grace from a God who forgives, who sees our sin though the opaque veil of His precious son's sacrifice.   This for me.  For you.  Free. 

It's almost heartbreaking in it's beauty.

 "He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end." Ecclesiastes 3:11 

"...I know who goes before me

I know who stands behind

The God of angel armies

Is always on my side

The One who reigns forever

He is a friend of mine

The God of angel armies 

Is always by my side

Whom shall I fear

And nothing formed against me shall stand

You hold the world in Your hands

I'm holding onto Your promises

You are faithful...  "

Chris Tomlin (found here)

Being Expectant this 2013,