I was recently asked to write a post for our church blog about how I see God REIGN in my life. I took a slow & thorough inventory of that very thing, my life. I assessed my marriage, my children, my business, my parenting skills (or lack there of, some days!), my possessions, and my faith. While all of these are intertwined for the obvious reason: that they are what make-up my life, I was able to discover where he ultimately reigns.
My gift in life, my calling, is to make things beautiful. Here’s the thing: as I took this inventory, I went through the highs & lows, the good & the bad, the ugly & the pretty. Yes, my marriage is great and I adore my husband, BUT, we still disagree. Yes, my kids are healthy and fun, BUT, some days they act like terrors and make me hide in my closet (thank you, Jesus, for walk-in closets). My faith is steadfast, BUT I don’t get to spend time in the word nearly as much as I desire. Regardless of the ebbs & flows of life, I have found that my passion and my calling is to make it all beautiful. Because just as beautiful as the mountains, are the valleys. It’s hard to appreciate the beauty of a valley though, until you’re on a mountaintop, yes? Ecclesiastes 3:11 says "He has made everything beautiful in its time." While life isn’t always perfect & beautiful (in fact, sometimes, quite messy), there is a time & a place for everything, and when God reigns in our lives, beauty will shine through, in God’s perfect timing (waiting is surely not easy, though!)
Beauty to me is more than just internal; it’s more than just choosing to see beauty. It’s about making things beautiful. As a designer by trade, I can’t help but pour into this gift that God has given me. I want to make my children's childhood memorable with beautiful birthday parties and bedrooms that reflect the tiniest intricacies of their little beings. I want to make our home beautiful with mantras about kindness, happy colors and cozy textures - a place to rest & restore. I want to create beautiful art, that reflects the most personal matters of my heart. Proverbs 4:23 says: “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” I want my home to reflect my heart. I want my kids to see the beauty in creating & in creation. Ultimately, God reigns in my life through beauty. The beauty in the unknown, the beauty in the tragedies, in the tough days, and the beauty in the blessings. I want to have a beautiful outlook, a beautiful home, create beautiful things, and by the grace of God, live a beautiful life.
