Achieve Something Beautiful:
What does it mean to achieve something beautiful?
When pondering the desire to achieve beauty in my life I often wonder …. What is the origin of beauty? How is beauty defined? Who beholds beauty- is it God? Is it humanity? Is it nature reflecting something back at me? Or am I the beholder of beauty?
Confucius is credited with saying, “Everything has its beauty, but not everyone sees it.” This suggests beauty is inherent within the object, or subject created. However novelist Margaret Wolfe Hungerford who coined the expression well known to most of us, ‘beauty is in the eye of the beholder’ also challenges me to examine how beauty is measured; subjectively or objectively?
I think for myself I see beauty as something immeasurable yet highly valuable and worth achieving. I believe God is the beholder of my beauty so I see life as a work of art, and an expression of who I am while I live it. It may not always appear pleasant, it may not feel pleasant, in fact it may feel and look wretched; however, in it’s time something beautiful and eternally significant will emerge. If not for fiery trials and testing, how does one understand the significance of both strength and rest? So it is with beauty. Without darkness, suffering and pain how would one appreciate light, vibrancy and beauty?
Think of fine lines and wrinkles, both badges earned from the seasons of a life lived. Think of the children who work so hard to obtain food and provision when living in want under the heavy burden of poverty …. are these not the same children that attend school, live in homes and strive to find their place in life so as to have meaning and purpose? Does one measure the first more beautiful than the latter or vice versa? Is not the same smile that lingers in the eyes of child, regardless of their circumstance, as important as the ones that lay in all of the joys and sorrows of humanity? The hidden miracles inside the secret moments of life ascribes a certain kind of beauty and necessity to go on. To keep moving forwards.
I think at the end of my life, as long as I lean into God and trust His plan for my life rather than my own pain, I will look back and see twinkling lights innumerable such as the stars in the sky and truly appreciate all the beauty that each one represents. It isn’t about taking the wrinkles, the challenges, the pain away so much as it is allowing them to transform my life and accept them. And so I think love is the origin of beauty. And I think true beauty embodies love and so whether it is recognized or not isn’t really the point. The point is love. Love is something we can both appreciate and express in art, in words, in song, and deeds. Love compels people to continue the climb, to sojourn and reflect and to make allowances for adversity. Love is deep and wide and tall and long, and in its depth we can truly achieve something beautiful.