The Most Beautiful Thing in the World

"What do you think?"

Matthew 18:12

The following is quoted from an article in Homeschooling Magazine.  The author's name is Norman M. Birkett.  Enjoy...

"God gave me an unforgettable experience once --"  

Great opening, isn't it?  Any idea what this unforgettable experience might be?  Give it a little thought, and make your guess.

Okay, ready?  Let's continue.

"God gave me an unforgettable experience once, 

    when I was looking out of my window on a flight --" 

Oh, but that's not too terribly surprising, is it?  Who hasn't been awed by the view from an airplane?  I mean other than people who have never been in an airplane... Rivers, mountains, crops, oceans, sunrise, sunset.... it's all gorgeous from up there, isn't it? 

But let's keep going...

"The aircraft was in sunshine, but the sun hadn't yet risen high enough to illuminate the ground.  Below me, I could see a few small clouds, brightly lit, and below that, nothing but inky darkness, impenetrable to me up in the bright sunlight."

Aren't you just picturing it?

"Then, as I watched, the sun rose on the world below me.  We were over the Alaska Range.  When the sunlight touched the highest peak, I saw magnificent mountains appear instantaneously out of the dark void.  The peaks and ridges were brilliant with golden light, and the valleys, though still in shadow, were dimly visible by the reflected light.  In a fraction of a second, the light raced off like fire through dry grass to the northwestern horizon, illuminating more ridges and peaks, bringing a snowy, mountainous world into being out of darkness."

Sounds like creation must have looked, doesn't it?

"After I resumed breathing, I sat there in awe, looking at those mountains, meditating on God's Word, and thanking Him for letting me see such a sight."

It's nice when we remember to give thanks, isn't it?  But then Mr Birkett continues...

"And that was the second most beautiful thing I have ever seen in God's universe."

Hmmm..... Intriguing.

"What was the most beautiful thing?"

Well, now, I'd like to tell you, because if you're anything like me, you're pretty darn curious.  But first I want to give you some time to think about it.  Because I'm pretty sure ~ well actually, I'm completely and 100% sure that anything you could think of to answer that question is not what Mr Birkett thinks.

And I will tell you.  But not quite yet.  I think you'll enjoy all the possible answers you come up with; each one something you consider beautiful.  But you've gotta think outside the box.  Think of things that wouldn't generally be thought of as "beautiful".  Open up your mind to things like, oh, I don't know... mud.  And the beautiful way that water and dirt combine to create something that can both cleanse your pores and cool a pig.

Y'know, that kind of beautiful.

I'll let you know tomorrow what Mr Birkett's opinion is.  Until then, give the question some thinks.  And give Him some thanks.  {See what I did there?  A little wordplay is a beautiful thing, n'est pas?}

~ "Praise the Lord!

For it is good to sing praises to our God;

For it is pleasant,

   and praise is beautiful." ~

Psalm 147:1

~