Beauty

So for the past couple of days I've been thinking about beauty. The beauty that God reveals to us in different ways. I've been really stressed recently just with school stuff and being overtired, etc. But I have been reminded of God's faithfulness to me and His promise that He is there for me; He has been revealing Himself to me in ways that remind me that even when things seem crazy around me, I can be still and know that He is God.

One way He's showed Himself to me is by the several sunsets I've been able to see the past couple of nights. The sunsets here are breathtaking. I have also been shown the beauty of His creation just by driving on and off campus on the mountain. The leaves here have finally changed into rich red's, orange's, and yellow's. I was driving back to school today and didn't want to stop - I just wanted to relish in the beauty of His creation. This is my favorite time of year, especially here at school.

A different kind of beauty I've been able to enjoy is seeing the body of Christ in different ways. I attend a Widows' Bible study every Tuesday. Most of these ladies are African American. Now, if I were to get into a deep, theological discussion with some of these women, I am almost positive that there would be some disagreements. However, when I go to these studies, and I hear these women's testimonies of how God has brought them through really hard times, how passionate they are about their Savior when they pray, how excited they get when they start talking about the goodness of God, it makes me so happy to be with these ladies. It is so nice getting away from our "reformed bubble" here at Covenant once in a while and spending time with other Christian people; people who I can still learn from and still be encouraged by, even though theologically we might not agree on things.

And lastly, just the beauty of God bringing certain people together; people from different places, different families and backgrounds, even different interests and personalities, and putting them together to form an inseperable bond. I have been blessed beyond belief to have just that; friendships that have become so precious to me, that God has clearly brought to me - and I am so thankful for them. Because with all the stress that I have dealt with in terms of school, disappointments such as dealing with a divorce in my family, a scary phone call saying my mom almost died in an accident but by the grace of God is ok... having these friends with me to turn to, laugh with, and cry with, has been something that I will never take for granted. These Christian girls have again shown me the beauty of the body of Christ.

He has been showing me His faithfulness in such wonderful ways and it is such a blessing.