It’s May and when I look outside my eyes are delighted by the beauty of spring. It’s been a long winter so seeing colours such as green, pink, and yellow bring a jolt of new life into my heart!
Over the last few years, I have become more enamored than ever before with all things beautiful. Before I write any further I should state that yes, I am well aware that beauty is subjective. Perhaps another way to convey this is that now I more consciously revel in what I perceive as pleasing to my senses. I attribute my increased appetite in esthetics to many things, including a deeper knowing of who God is, and more acceptance of who I am. As God continues to cultivate gratitude in me, my joy rises. My senses are heightened and I’m more aware that there is beauty all around me and that it’s more than okay to enjoy it.
This wasn’t always this case. I should rephrase that. Since I was a little girl God has given me eyes to see the beauty surrounding me and even have the appreciation for it but I didn’t always pursue things of beauty with the intentionality and passion that I do now. Somewhere along the way I developed an erroneous way of thinking that if I cared too much about aesthetics I would be considered vain, materialistic, and unspiritual. For example, I love fashion but there have been many times in the past where I have not dressed the way I have truly wanted to because I feared the opinions of others. I didn’t want to come across as trying too hard, or have others wonder how much money I had spent on my clothes. I mean, if they only knew that I buy most of my clothes from sales rack! I didn’t want people to think I cared more appearance than cultivating an inward beauty. While I think clothes are fun and an expression of who a person’s personality I know that God doesn’t care about those things. He is concerned with the heart. He could care less if I wear skinny jeans or ones with a boot cut. He wants me to honor him by dressing modestly. Whatever I do, say and think should be to point people to him and not distract them from him. What I have discovered though is that I don’t have to feel guilty for enjoying picking out clothes, putting on that pink lipstick, or accessorizing my wardrobe. It’s all about balance, recognizing priorities, constantly checking our motives and obeying God when he tells us to redirect our focus onto him.
God created beauty and he wants us to embrace it, celebrate it and promote it. I am now a huge home decor enthusiast. I study with pure delight when I visit people’s homes. I am enthralled watching home decorating shows, flipping through magazines and visiting home decor or DIY websites. I moved into my own apartment four years ago and it wasn’t until then that I at last gave myself full permission to decorate. Every day, I thank God for the lovely space he has provided me with and I have so much fun doing projects in my home. I have become friends with incredibly talented photographers and my love for photography has grown because of seeing their amazing skills. I want to study art because it’s another way that God has given humans the ability to express themselves, displaying his greatness and majesty. I have been blessed to travel and have seen stunning works that have been created by men, which couldn’t have been built without the God of the universe allowing that to be and giving mortals the intelligence and ability to do so. I can still fix my eyes on something of nature so spectacular that it blows my mind and takes my breath away. And I’m at a loss when people dare not say there is no God.
I hope to never forget though that every single individual who creates (i.e. fashion designers, architects, home decorators, photographers, writers etc.), has been blessed with that ability by the ultimate Creator and failure to acknowledge, give him thanks & praise, is robbing him of glory. God also warns us to be careful not to worship the creation itself or the human who has been given the gift to build. We must never take away the credit from the One who at any second could choose to leave us without that special skill we possess. We fool ourselves when we believe we are so special that the Creator of the Universe would never do that. He gives and he takes away and blessed be his name.
I desire to create things of beauty through my writing. I want to paint pictures through stories of God’s amazing grace and love for humankind. He is my beautiful muse.
Oh Lord, You’re beautiful
Your face is all I seek
For when Your eyes are on this child
Your grace abounds to me
– First verse from the song, Oh Lord You’re Beautiful by Keith Green
Love and joy,
Raquel
As always, I would be happy to hear from you. You can contact me at raquel.meza1@hotmail.com
