Beauty

The fall colors are taking their time in getting here.  We’re beginning the second week in October and green remains the predominant color.  Last week my dad and I drove the Tunnel of Trees in northern Michigan, hoping for a glimpse of fall beauty.  It was not to be.  What I find fascinating is the lengths we will go to in order to witness beauty.  We will pay good money to go on a fall color tour.  We will drive to the other side of the country to look upon the Grand Canyon or Yosemite Valley.  We spend hours cultivating planter boxes and beds full of colorful flowers that serve no functional purpose.  They are just pretty.

What does this say about us?  Where does this great desire for beauty come from?  We are people created in the image of God.  We were made in the image of a Creator who purposefully placed beauty in his creation.  Was it necessary for the leaves of trees to change into vibrant colors before falling to the ground?  Was it necessary to carve out splendid canyons?  Our desire for beauty is due to the fact that we are “chips off the ol’ block.”  These apples don’t fall far from the tree.  We long for beauty because our Father does.  And that longing for beauty is ultimately a longing to experience God’s glory.  The fall colors will get here eventually.  Your desire to see them is more than just a seasonal fancy.  It is a longing to behold God’s glory.