Salt Water
Have you ever had salt water? Maybe as a mouth rinse or maybe after getting dunked in the ocean? It’s a nasty experience. One you’ve gotten that salty taste on your tongue and on your lips, it’s hard to get rid of it. The only way to get it out of your mouth is to drink fresh water or something else to wash away that salty taste.
Salt can do so much good. It can add flavor to food; it can preserve meat. But too much salt makes you gag. I remember my brother-in-law made an apple pie for a party once, and he accidentally used salt instead of sugar. We took one bite of that pie and spit it out; it was terrible. Salt is only good in small quantities, and you definitely can’t live on salt water. You have to have fresh, clean water to survive.
Salt Water vs. Fresh Water
I read a verse in my morning time this week that caught my attention. James talks about this concept of bitter water and fresh water.
Does a spring of water bubble out with both fresh water and bitter water? Does a fig tree produce olives, or a grapevine produce figs? No, and you can’t draw fresh water from a salty spring.
James 3:11,12
That phrase, you can’t draw fresh water from a salty spring, caught my attention. You can’t get fresh water from salt water; it’s just not going to happen.
Feeling Empty
If you’re at a place in life where you’re discouraged, tired, worn out, bitter, frustrated…there will be no inspiration, no creativity. There will be no fresh ideas, dreaming, and excitement about the future. That’s not a fun place to be; I know because I’ve been there. I’ve also been on the other side, the side that’s teeming with life, ideas, creativity, and excitement.
What do you do when you get stuck in that worn out and discouraged cycle? What do you do when you feel like you’re drawing from a salty spring instead of fresh water? One of the best ways to combat this feeling is to find beauty.
Recognizing Beauty
Rebekah Lyons, in her book , Building a Resilient Life, says this:
When we recognize beauty, we encounter the divine. God himself draws us close, and we behold him, the author of beauty itself.
When I realized I was more obsessed with what was broken than with what was beautiful, I made some changes. I took more walks in nature, looking for the God-created beauty all around. I noticed baby birds singing a chorus in a nest above my head, natural springs with the sound of water gurgling under a rock, and a green tunnel of leaves with a soft, mossy floor where a mama fox protected her young.
Encountering beauty isn’t just about noticing the natural beauty in the world around you; it’s about noticing the beautiful things God has planted inside you and allowing those things to flourish. It’s about reclaiming your creativity and seeing how that creativity is a God-given thing.
Building a Resilient Life
Finding Beauty
One of the best ways to find creativity, fresh ideas, and encouragement is to find beauty both in the world around us and in what God is doing in and through us.
Beauty can be found in so many places, some of which we don’t expect. We found beauty yesterday at a funeral, not the typical place to find beauty. Our neighbor passed away last week, and Matt had the privilege of doing the funeral. At the funeral, Matt told everyone there that yes, he was a pastor and was officiating the service. But he told them that he was more than a pastor; he was a neighbor. What’s amazing is that there were two other neighbors at the funeral as well. Because of that funeral, the gospel went out to our neighbors. There is beauty in that. There is beauty in seeing God’s grace flow out during a time of sorrow and connecting us as more than neighbors, as people created God in God’s image.
10 Ways to Find Beauty
When we get discouraged and feel there is nothing good around us, it’s time to look around. Find beauty in what God has created and where he is working. Here are a few ideas and ways to find beauty:
- Take a nature walk.
- Listen to beautiful music.
- Read an inspirational and uplifting book.
- Do something for somebody else to show love.
- Take a scenic drive.
- Express yourself creatively- through art, music, writing, poetry, crafting…whatever it is that you love to do creatively.
- Make a list of the good in your life.
- Get up early to watch the sunrise.
- Sit beside water and be still.
- Visit a garden, arboretum, or other nature place.
If you’re finding yourself in a place of no creativity, no life, and only discouragement, take the time this weekend to find beauty. Find something fresh and new to give you life.
More Encouragement
For more encouragement, read my post, How Nature Helps Me Combat Discouragement.