precious boy - meaningful beauty makes a difference
Repeat that phrase a few times.

When I heard those two words paired together, I had to let the verbiage marinade for awhile, yet after I thought about it, I just love what it represents.

In our fast paced, “need everything in an instant” society, we often associate beauty with only the physical, those things that our eyes deem “beautiful,” or those things which bring instant pleasure.

Yet when I think of some of the truly meaningful beauty moments, my heart goes to the simple, the unaware moments that we often miss – those times when we slow down enough to really look around and take the little things in around us. I often mention on here that it’s the “Little Things that are the Big things,” and that ties in with family, intentional living and meaningful beauty.

Recently, I was approached about sharing my most meaningful moment of the year, and it took me days to think of how I could narrow that down.

But as I pondered true beauty and meaningful beauty, I went to our family’s week long mission trip to Guatemala.

In the midst of sheer poverty, all around, all around me there was such simplistic beauty emerging from the spirit of community, like a precious blessing of a boy, an orphan, who couldn’t help but giggle when he caught me trying to sneak a picture of him, or children who came in droves to enjoy fun that crosses any cultural barrier.

Guatemala village

The meaningful beauty of hard work. From tending the market booth to farming the land. Industrious labor occurs because a family’s provisions come from everyone working together without complaining.

The meaningful beauty of creativity and re-purposing. When one doesn’t have the means to purchase the latest designer planter, why not create your own by painting old milk jugs?

There is meaningful beauty all around us, and I want to continually remind myself to slow down each day and embrace those moments.

Tell me what your most meaningful moment was in the last year, month, day or week. We all have them. Sometimes we just need to look for them.