FIRMLY PLANTED â—½ ENCOURAGEMENT
True Beauty, True Peace
by Dina Cavazos
The incredible variety found in nature fascinates me. For one, it reveals a slice of who God is. Some words that come to mind are: Genius Creator, Designer Extraordinaire, Beauty Lover, Habitation of Peace. These attributes are manifested visibly on earth, as we see in sunsets, rainbows, oceans, mountains, flora and fauna. This wondrous medley so fills my heart with awe, that I strive to emulate it in my garden with kaleidoscopic color, texture, and diversity. My goal is to evoke a feeling of peace and rest through showcasing a bit of God’s beautiful handiwork.
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Whether I’m sitting on a bench, walking the paths, or pulling weeds, my garden at its best is calming, bringing me joy and peace; however, the best only lasts a few months. Despite the evergreens and winter-loving pansies and snapdragons that brighten the garden, in the winter it looks quite pitiful. Leaves and twigs cover everything, plants go dormant, and dead brown stems like a multitude of skinny scarecrows replace the lush green of Spring-Fall.
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Pondering the winter scene, questions began to surface: If beauty, in a garden or otherwise, doesn’t last, if it fades away--does the peace fade too? Must I have beauty to have peace? What kind of beauty doesn’t fade?
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Thinking back to my youth, I remember being influenced, like most young people, by magazines and movie stars. I wanted to be thin like “Twiggy”, a famous model at the time, and I envied those with long board-straight hair like Cher. Instead, I dieted to lose weight and my fine wavy hair frizzed.
Before blow dryers and flat irons, I used orange juice cans as rollers and invented an elaborate wrapping technique using bobby pins to straighten my hair, both mostly futile techniques. I hated the bump on my nose and found other imperfections to complain about. I was a teen who had a lot to learn, with no curves, no calves, no confidence—and the memo sent through the culture grapevine didn’t help.
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Inordinate emphasis on physical beauty has always bothered me. Even back then, I innately knew it was a false value. It gave me an annoying, uncomfortable feeling--like having a pebble in my shoe. I wish I’d known Jesus back then. I wish I’d known the One who loves me as I am and looks past this outer body, deep into my soul. I might have still struggled with my image, but maybe not so much. With age, maturity, and a realistic perspective on what truly matters, I’ve come to terms with my imperfections, such as the bump on my nose and the scar on my eyebrow, and I’m now thankful for the positives like good health, olive complexion, and relatively good teeth. Now, as the next stage of life rolls in, flabby skin, mouth wrinkles, and drooping lids mock at the vestiges of vanity that remain. But vanity doesn’t rule over me like it once did. I’ve learned there are far more important attributes than physical appearance.
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Now I understand that I am, first and foremost, a spiritual being in a physical body. This body is temporary but the promise of a perfect, resurrected body is a future hope. I can’t honestly say I don’t care about my looks at all, but it’s far more important to grow in love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. These “fruits of the Spirit” remain forever. This is the kind of beauty that doesn’t fade, the kind of beauty I see in people who are faithful to truth, kind to everyone, who take the ups and downs of life with grace. Who they are on the inside far outweighs physical appearance. This perspective on lasting beauty gives me peace.
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My thoughts come back to the garden:
The truth is, it’s beautiful certain times of the year, but sometimes it’s a mess. Can I enjoy the loveliness without holding on to it as an unrealistic standard? Can I find an aspect of peace and beauty all year? Each season has its particular challenges, but also its allures, if I’m able to appreciate them. The fallen leaves make a lovely collage along the pathway. Dry branches provide shelter for wintering insects—isn’t this God’s provision for them? That God provides in this way is comforting, just as he’s present and actively working at all times in my life.
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Some plants look great all year, like evergreens. Some have winter attributes, such as seed heads, that I enjoy hearing swish in the wind. I love that each plant fits into the garden uniquely, bringing its own color, texture, size, and particulars. Each brings something of God’s diversity and creativity, and speaks God’s consistent word of truth.
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True peace lasts through every season, even when beauty fades. As my true self—the person God made me to be—emerges more and more, I know I’m like a beautiful plant in God’s Garden—beautiful in every season because the work he’s doing in me will never fade. My peace and stability are not just skin deep, because I’m firmly planted in His love and care—that is where I find lasting peace.