Beauty In The Midst

This past week, I took  my daughter to a local attraction called Dutch Village. I will put a disclaimer in there that you do NOT need to be Dutch in order to enjoy this place! Granted Mazy and I are a replica of Dutch heritage with our blonde hair, blue eyes, and tall genes, but it is a great place filled with great historical pieces and fun!

Anyways, while I was waiting to go on the swings with Mazy, the man running that ride was fascinated by my “box.” He asked if I was under some serious surveillance and I kind of chuckled and said no, it’s actually an external defibrillator. I think he was a bit shocked to say the least, to see someone like me, wearing something like that.

At times I guess too, I am just as shocked. I never imagined myself at 34 and wearing one of those apparatuses, but there is beauty in that too.

Well, this week I shared about my book coming out Lord-willing, June 20! I am so excited, a bit anxious, and am feeling like the whole idea is a bit surreal. The other night I was working on orders and there I sat, with my LifeVest, hugging my body tight, yet working on a book that has developed out of this very situation. What beauty in that.

Then I started to put it all together in my head. The timing of this all really is mind-boggling to me, but again, despite the struggles with my health, the oddity that I may look like with this thing strapped to my body, I can see the utter beauty that God has brought to this whole situation. I often used to think that when people wrote a book, that they have arrived and that what they had set out to do, is complete. Their words are on paper, their thoughts woven through the pages of that book, and after it’s published, it’s done.

But what I’m realizing is that this is just the beginning of a new journey for me in many ways. A new journey of proclaiming God’s grace in my life through not only my blog, but now through a book, A Heartbeat of Grace. Also, last year I had one set of heart issues and this year has brought on a new journey of rhythm issues. And really what it comes down to, for everyone in this world, is that each new day, brings on a new journey.

Everyday I get the chance to wake up and walk this journey that God has set before me. Everyday I get to wake up and embrace the story God has for me. A story that continues to unfold and a story that I am learning to embrace every step of the way.

Even when we go through hardships in life, because of God’s character, because of what He promises, and because of that grace, we have a front row seat to that beauty in the midst of…(you fill in the blank).

I don’t know where you are at in life – the good, the bad, and maybe even the ugly. But I encourage you to take a step back and find the beauty in the midst. In the midst of that good. In the midst of the bad. In the midst of the ugly. There will always be beauty there.

Some days we just have to look a little harder to find it.

So the next time a man curiously asks me about my “surveillance” box, I’m going to not stand just as surprised, but embrace the fact that I was just able to ride those swings with my daughter, box in tow.