There is something so incredible in the changing of seasons- like nature, God, and the universe is showing us how to live, rest, and breathe. Where I live, it’s currently winter, or this week, more like “fool’s spring” with temperatures above freezing giving promise of new life. The warmth of the sun is melting the snow, and trees are beginning to bud.
This is the place where beauty found me today- in moments admiring the budding pink magnolia tree before heading into my therapy session. The fuzzy green pods with pops of pink and white breaking through serve as a reminder that new life is coming. Creation isn’t stagnant, it’s ever happening and moving forward. A linguist once taught me the etymology of the word “create” does not have a past tense; in ancient times, there was no such word for “created,” simply words for “create, creates, creating”. Creation is ongoing and ever-evolving, and this is how I’ve started to view life.
A friend may look at me now and see some shifts in my once held beliefs or ideals. They may remark how I have changed, and to that, I give this response: “Yes, I’ve changed; life doesn’t stand still. We have the opportunity to constantly change, grow, and love.” I believe our lives are a lot like what we experience in nature; there are times of productivity, new life, harvesting, and rest. We grow as individuals, families, communities, cultures, and societies. John Henry Cardinal Newman put it very simply, “Growth is the only evidence of life.” We are living beings; to not grow is to begin to die.
So today, I marvel at these little buds and wonder at how they will endure the next frost. I look at them as a sign of hope. These little green fuzz balls covering the bare branches of this beautiful magnolia tree contain a hidden beauty within them- a beauty longing to be free.
There is beauty within us too, and I invite you to take a moment today to notice something beautiful in nature around you and within yourself. Together, let’s take another step to live in the freedom of beauty untrapped.