Simply Beautiful

Beautiful simple dress available at silkliving.com
I've had two words swirling around in my head for the better part of 2017: 

 Simple and beautiful.

 I'm naturally drawn to the simple. Anyone who knows me tends to make a big deal if I wear makeup or do anything to my hair besides brushing. My go-to clothes are jeans and t-shirts. 

 On top of that, as a family we've been simplifying in 2017, and will continue through 2018. We've systematically gone through so much of what we own and have asked, "Is this thing great?" If it's great, we keep it. If not, we give (or throw) it away. I have loved simplifying, though I was a tad afraid that I'd created a monster when my 8-year old son gave away every toy in his room except for what would fit in one of those large storage bins. 

 Simple describes my life and my approach to homeschool and even Christmas. When anyone has asked me, "Are we doing gifts for each other?" I've said, "Let's not! Let's make it simple." When I search for a recipe, I always type "simple" in front of it. I really don't do complicated.

 On the other hand, I have this 6-year old daughter whose focus in life is to beautify. She is constantly remodeling or redecorating her room. She hangs up Christmas lights year round, considers puffy paint to be almost holy, and is currently wearing a three-string beaded necklace to go with her cotton ornament shirt and plaid leggings. 

 So I struggled with how simple and beautiful could co-exist. They seemed at opposite ends of the spectrum: If something was beautiful, could it really be simple? No one looks at a great t-shirt and says, "How beautiful!" Still, those two words kept running through my head and my heart, particularly when I'd be saturated in God's Word. And though "simple" in the Bible typically indicates foolishness, "beautiful" is not a bad thing:

 "He has made everything beautiful in its time," Ecclesiastes 3:11
"By wisdom a house is built,
    and through understanding it is established;
4 through knowledge its rooms are filled
    with rare and beautiful treasures" (Proverbs 24:3-4)
(When Jesus was anointed by a woman in Bethany, He said) “Leave her alone...Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing to me" (Mark 14:6)

I leaned simple; I felt called to simple; I loved simple. Yet this idea of beautiful continued to tug at me. I even bought a new Bible because it was just beautiful. What was getting in to me? I was losing my simple-girl cred, right?

But then it all came together. We were at a crowded get-together recently, and I found myself talking to a friend that I dearly loved but don't see nearly enough. (This happens more and more as you get older; it's okay, I promise.) As we talked, my friend spoke of an opportunity that seemed just perfect for their family, but they couldn't make it happen. It seemed to be a dream come true, and I was crushed for them. "Weren't you so sad?" I asked.

"The door was closed. It wasn't meant to be," my friend said, with honest, perfect contentment. 

Instantly I saw it: This was simple faith. 
  • Believing God was in control. 
  • Not stressing over things that didn't happen. 
  • Trusting His will and His power and His love and His plan. 
  • Going to God over and over, day after day, because you know that He alone has His glory and your best in that plan. 

And simple faith is beautiful. 

Who wouldn't be drawn to that simple faith? Who wouldn't want to know more of this God who imparts peace in the midst of trouble and joy in the midst of sorrow? Who could bear to see the genuine smile on my friend's face--knowing that a long-time dream had walked right past--and not see the beauty in that simple faith?

So I'm okay with simple. And I'm seeking beautiful. 

Beautiful need not be ornate or complicated or take all afternoon to have ready. Simple need not be ugly or boring or plain. Where simple and beautiful meet, I am most filled. I am drawn to that place. 

Because God is simple: I AM who I AM (Exodus 3:14). He is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8). He is Love, He is Light, He is all-knowing and all-powerful and has a perfect plan for this universe and His people and each and every cell in your body. He is God; pretty simple. 

But inside that simplicity is beauty: He made animals that defy evolution, mountains that steal our breath, and oceans that draw us to the beach just so we can sit there and think about our existence. We feel His presence in nature, we see His handiwork in the night sky, and we experience our eyes welling with tears at the beautiful gift of life. 

We are drawn to simple beauty because God is simply beautiful.

I'm making this my 2018 goal: to find God in the simple beauty of His World and His Word. And if you wear makeup and cook complicated recipes, I promise we can still be friends :) 

But I want to get rid of all the clutter. I love simplifying because getting rid of the extra allows me to focus on the beautiful. 

You too?

@leslienotebook
myleslienotebook@gmail.com

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