Anita Ojeda Whether it’s scenery, people, or wildlife, we tend to ignore the quiet beauty in search of the flashy and flamboyant. What would happen if we flipped the script?
The Value of Quiet Beauty
Last week, we spent our conjoined family vacation in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. I know, Mexico in the summer? What were we thinking? Temperatures and humidity vied for the top spot, fluctuating between 77 and 95. There’s a reason I spend summers in Alaska! I hate heat. But I love my family, so I’ll suffer uncomfortable situations to spend time with them.
I’ve never visited a coastal city in Mexico before and had a vague idea of toucans on the front porch and macaws perched outside my windows feasting on fruit from exotic trees with plate-sized flowers. I envisioned snorkeling in crystalline waters and seeing scans of colorful fish darting around the coral reefs.
Not exactly. The dry season in Jalisco did its best to squeeze the last of the green from the nearby hills and mountains. A layer of fine dust blanketed the greenery and everything else. The Bay of Banderas has rough sandy beaches with many rocks and a few places to snorkel. We saw some colorful fish, and I collected cups and cups of sand in my swimsuit while playing in the surf with my grandson.
I had two choices. Go looking for the quiet beauty of a country in the dry season, or bellyache about my unfulfilled expectations. My unrealistic expectations. Creation offers grace notes of quiet beauty no matter where we look. But we have to look to appreciate them.
You Can Find Beauty Anywhere
I often fail to look closer at what my eyes deem ordinary. I overlook beautiful people because they aren’t flamboyant, flashy, or pushy. It’s my loss. This week, I want to look for quiet beauty everywhere and appreciate it, even if it doesn’t meet the world’s standards. What have you overlooked lately?
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What a beautiful post Anita! I feel the same I try & look for the beauty in the ordinary & I’m never disappointed!
Blessings, Jennifer
Tea With Jennifer recently posted…The Perfect fit…the Art of Friendship
Great encouragement to look for the quiet beauty around us and appreciate it, Anita!
Lisa Blair recently posted…Hidden with Christ
It’s one thing to appreciate beauty you know is going to be there and look forward to, like the Grand Canyon or Niagara Falls (I’ve not been to either). But what I love most about quiet beauty is the surprise of it–it seems like a little love note from God.
Barbara Harper recently posted…Fathers and Children
Anita, I so appreciate this post. In seasons when things aren’t going the way we expected, we can shift our perspective or complain and mumble. When we shift, we see the beauty God provides in those ordinary things, don’t we? Loved your message and your photos!
Jeanne Takenaka recently posted…5 Ways to Be Purposeful When Waiting on the Lord
Enjoyed your beautiful photos and how you found beauty in a dry time.
Debbie Wilson recently posted…How to Unleash Mountain-Moving Prayer
I love your line, “you can find beauty anywhere.” I like to call myself a blessing hunter, and I so I echo you, “you can find blessing anywhere.”
We just need eyes to see.
Jerralea Winn Miller recently posted…Sunshiny Days are So Glorious!