Gasp in the Beauty

by Adria Wilkins

(Today's musing is written by one of our NorthStar writers, Adria Wilkins. Adria is an author and speaker and attends First Baptist Church of Woodbridge.)During our visit to Butchart Gardens in Canada, we walked down a stone-lined walkway and came around a corner to look down into the Sunken Gardens. It made me gasp. “Wow, I exclaimed! This is amazing!”

Jennie Butchart had the vision to create gardens with unusual patterns, shapes, and types of flowers. The beauty was indescribable. It was unlike anything I had ever seen. It gave me a glimpse of heaven.

I noticed as I stood there, taking in the beauty, that everyone else who came around the corner had a similar expression. They made comments such as, “Oh, My! Wow!” I had more fun listening to and anticipating people’s reactions.

God gives people the gift of creativity to design things of beauty for us to enjoy.

The Bible says, in Psalm 16:11, “You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.”

Watching people is one of my favorite pastimes. I get so much entertainment from watching people at parks, malls, or gatherings. In fact, of all my five senses, my sense of sight is the one I use the most. God gives me a lot of my writing material from exploring nature and watching people.

Which of your five senses do you use to make memories? It has been said that 80% of our memories come from our eyesight and what we see.

When I speak or prepare for my podcast, I often encourage others to, “Look out for joy.” We often get so busy with life and chores that we do not take the time to stop and experience the moments God has created and provided for us to enjoy.

When was the last time you stopped and thanked God for your eyesight? From the moment we wake up until we go back to sleep, our eyes are busy looking and collecting information.

Just like Jennie Butchart, my creative vision and mission is to encourage everyone I encounter to take moments each day to experience the beauty surrounding us. The colors and fragrances of flowers and trees are just a small glimpse of what He has made for us to experience.

God is present in all creation and because of that, I want to look and experience all I can to grow closer to my Creator. Psalm 21:6 says, “Surely you have granted him unending blessings and made him glad with the joy of your presence.”

What beautiful creation have you seen today? Have you taken the time to look? Take some time to stop and use your eyesight to draw closer to the greatest Creator of all times. You might just be surprised and gasp with joy!