beauty

Once, in awhile, one of the teens in the ministry bowls me over with their insight & wisdom. 

Once, one of them said, "You know you've found beauty when you can see it in something ugly."

To me this is TRUTH & it is profound. I don't know if everyone would consider it so but it twang a chord with me because it articulated something that I have experienced & believed since working at the crisis center as a JV.  

I feel like I see beauty the most in suffering. I think hope is the most beautiful thing. I think that people are more able to experience & express love in situations of suffering. I think when horrible things happen we realize how fragile we all are & we our connections with each other more deeply.*

I think that's when we are most able to bring God's kingdom to earth.

Which, to me, means love.

I learned, when walking into crisis situations when I felt like I had nothing to offer someone who had just suffered a horrible assault, all I really had to do was to be present, to enter into the suffering with the other person & allow them to just BE, however they needed to be. That was where healing happened. 

Later, perhaps, they would want answers to questions, or a sounding board, or a hand to squeeze. But what was most important was to offer an open heart.

And when you are able to open your heart to other's suffering what you are left with is an open heart. A heart that is more open to experience the world, all of it: the joy, beauty, pain, challenges, everything.

Since my time at the crisis center my open heart has not shut & now I am much more open. Much more likely to cry at, well, ANYTHING, actually.  I'm more likely to see the beauty in the ugly & suffering.  

Sometimes it gets a bit soggy but I wouldn't trade it for anything.

And that is why I love FREEEEE-DAHHHHH (Frida Kahlo, for those who haven't been paying attention.)   Because she painted all the pain & suffering in her life & it is beautiful.  And she lived this bright, amazing life. So if you get a chance go see the exhibit.  I'll be going again.

* Of course, this does not make me glad that there is 

suffering in the world. I hate it & would eliminate all 

suffering if I could.